PDP Senators Move Against Akpabio Over Secret Meeting With Tinubu

Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has incurred the wrath of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) colleagues in the Senate over what senators of the PDP have reportedly described as Akpabio’s involvement in “anti-party activities.”
According to an informed source who did not want to be named, trouble began for Akpabio when he was spotted two weeks ago, during a secret visit to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akpabio, the source disclosed to SIGNAL on Wednesday, had paid a secret visit to Tinubu at his Bourdillon Lagos residence but was sighted by some individuals who instantly alerted the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu. Ekweremadu, by virtue of his position is currently the highest-ranking PDP member within the Nigerian government. Worried by the report of Akpabio’s visit to Tinubu, Ekweremadu immediately confronted Akpabio. According to the source, Akpabio dismissed the matter casually, saying he visited Tinubu over some “personal issues.” Akpabio’s attitude was said to have infuriated Ekweremadu and the matter quickly escalated to the entire PDP caucus in the Senate.
“The whole thing did not go down well with Ekweremadu and the PDP caucus in the Senate who were concerned that their Leader in the Senate who should be actively engaged with providing leadership and a voice for the PDP opposition is busy hobnobbing, not just with the ruling party but one of its most influential chieftains who played a key role in providing the funding, structure and media propaganda that kicked the PDP out of power in 2015 after 16 years. To make matters worse, Akpabio did not show any sign of remorse in the way he has gone about the issue. PDP senators are angry with him and are now making moves already for his removal”, the source said.
Further checks by SIGNAL revealed that the timing of Akpabio’s visit to Tinubu further worsened matters for the former Governor of Akwa-Ibom State. Recall that just last week, the PDP caucus in the Senate declared that it was withdrawing support from the government of President Muhammadu Buhari over the increasing persecution of leading PDP opposition members nationwide under the guise of fighting corruption. According to reports available to this newspaper, PDP senators are concerned that Akpabio of all people is the one visiting Tinubu at a time the PDP senators had just declared war on Buhari’s government.