Toyyibat Qasim
Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday triggered a moment of political drama in the Senate when he declared that he had never been a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, despite records of his previous elective and leadership positions on the party’s platform.
Akpabio made the declaration during plenary while the Senate considered a motion seeking to honour the late former Kogi State Governor, Ibrahim Idris.
The motion was sponsored by Senator Jibrin Isah, representing Kogi East, who, while recalling Idris’ political career in the PDP, appeared to include Akpabio among politicians who belonged to the party at the time.
Isah said, “The late Ibrahim Idris was a member of the PDP; I was there while you were there too, all of us were there.”
Akpabio immediately interrupted the senator and rejected the reference to him as a former PDP member.
“I was never in PDP. My spirit might be there, but my heart was never there. I have always been a progressive,” the Senate President declared.
The statement contrasts with publicly documented aspects of Akpabio’s political career.
Akpabio was elected Governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2007 on the platform of the PDP and was re-elected in 2011. He also became chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum in 2013.
In 2015, he contested and won the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial seat on the PDP platform. The PDP caucus subsequently nominated him as Senate Minority Leader, a position formally announced in July 2015. Contemporary records from the National Assembly and reports by The Guardian confirm his position as the PDP Senate Minority Leader.
Akpabio later resigned as minority leader and defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress in August 2018. He subsequently served as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs before becoming President of the 10th Senate in June 2023.
His Tuesday statement therefore drew attention because his documented political trajectory includes several major offices obtained or held under the PDP, even though he now says his “heart was never there.”
The Senate President did not, during the exchange, provide further explanation of what he meant by saying he was “never in PDP” despite his previous roles associated with the party.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
