The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Obong Paul Ekpo, has attributed the bitterness allegedly nursed by Leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state against Senator Godswill Akpabio to their defeat in the governorship polls, just as he described the rumour of his alleged resignation as the antics of the opposition party in the state.

Obong Ekpo made this remark while reacting to the recent press statement by the Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the party, purporting to rationalise why President Muhammadu Buhari must take Akpabio’s so-called blackmail challenge very seriously.

Ekpo explained that, it is ridiculous that the leaders of APC in the state, is still unable to come to terms with its defeat at the April 11, 2015 Governorship polls by consistently resorting to cheap blackmail against the former governor, whose offence is that he mobilised his party to victory.

Obong Ekpo wondered why a Press Conference addressed by the PDP caucus in the National Assembly, which bordered on some issues of national interest, and which Senator Akpabio happened to chair as the Minority Leader in the Senate, has been reduced to a personality attack on the distinguished Senator, as against his party which made its position clear on the matters arising there from.

“It is also laughable that my purported resignation is emanating from the APC camp. I have not resigned my chairmanship of our great party as being peddled by the APC. May be my resignation letter is with them and I would want them to produce the purported letter of resignation,” he stressed.

He therefore described the alarm raised by the APC state chapter as uncalled for, unnecessarily belligerent, and twisted hog-wash meant to instigate strife between President Buhari and Senator Akpabio, which will not work.

Ekpo argued that, the APC can continue with their innuendoes and conjectures on the 2015 Governorship elections which they lost, if they so desire, but that, all their propaganda will not influence the verdict of the tribunal neither will it win them elections in Akwa Ibom which remains a stronghold of the PDP.

Describing Senator Akpabio’s statement as very nationalistic and in sync with his status as a pan-Nigerian Statesman, maintaining that, even President Buhari knows that, the conduct of the PDP caucus led by Distinguished Senator Akpabio is line with international best practices in any democracy expected of an opposition party.

•Photo shows Akpabio