PDP leaders traced Akpabio overseas, begged him on their kneels not to defect to APC - Senate leader Lawan

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- Senate majority leader, Ahmed Lawan, has revealed how the leadership of PDP failed to stop Akpabio's defection to APC

- Former Senate minority leader formally defected from PDP to APC on Wednesday, August 8, in Akwa Ibom

- Lawan said the PDP leaders knelt down for Akpabio to remain in the party

The Senate majority leader, Ahmed Lawan, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did everything to prevent the former Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, from defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sahara Reporters reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that while speaking at a rally in Ikot Ekpene, on Wednesday, August 8, to welcome Akpabio to the APC, Lawan equated the capture of Akpabio to the loss of the 14 senators who dumped APC for the PDP.

He said: "This defection has swallowed all other defections. It is one defection that is more than 14. This is one defection that has shaken the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to its very foundations. They followed Akpabio everywhere. They followed him in Nigeria wherever he went; they followed him overseas to beg on their knees.”

Lawan described Akpabio as “a very uncommon Nigerian, a nationalist who believes in a united Nigeria, who believes in a stable Nigeria, who believes in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

He thereafter asked: “Ikot Ekpene, or let me say Akwa Ibom, do you sincerely and genuinely release to us this very distinguished senator, distinguished Nigerian, uncommon man of integrity, of passion, of patriotism and nationalism to us in the APC caucus?

“Those in favour, say aye.” The crowd responded with shouts of aye.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that the former minority leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akpabio officially defected to the ruling party on Wednesday, August 8, at the Ikot-Ekpene township stadium in Akwa Ibom.

NAIJ.com reported that some of those present at the defection ceremony were the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole; Senate majority leader, Ahmed Lawan; national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; and Nigeria's minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

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News Nigeria Today: Will Senators, Lawmakers’ Defection from APC Change Power in 2019? | - on NAIJ.com TV