Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Victor Attah and Atuekong Don Etiebet have declared for the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State.The duo made the switch, which is interpreted to mean dumping President Goodluck Jonathan who is the presidential candidate of the PDP, during a rally held by the Campaign Organization of the APC Governorship
Candidate, Obong Umana Okon Umana at the Ibibio Park grounds in Uyo yesterday.
At the APC rally, Obong Attah and Etiebet respectively, raised the hands of Obong Umana and stated that, they were no longer interested in the PDP having found an alternative in the opposition party.
The defection of the PDP chieftains did not come as a surprise to observers, as both men had been associating with the opposition in the buildup to the General Elections, following their grudge over the defeat of their preferred governorship aspirants by the PDP Standard Bearer, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel at the December 8, 2014 primaries. Commenting on the development, a public affairs analyst, Mr Ifiok Anderson, dismissed the move as another futile journey to nowhere. Anderson re-called that earlier in 2011, Obong Attah had similarly raised the hands of the then governorship candidate of the opposition, Action Congress of Nigeria, now
defunct, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe, but that did not change the fortunes of the latter, as he was defeated by the incumbent, Governor Akpabio.
The analyst argued that Attah had allowed his morbid hatred for his successor to blind him, even
in joining forces with his erstwhile, Commissioner of Finance, Obong Umana
Okon Umana who betrayed him. He however, added that the people of Akwa Ibom would make their choice on who should govern them.
