Akpabio’s longtime political supporter, Otoabasi Udo, alleges years of sacrifice without recognition and accuses the Senate president of sidelining loyalists in appointments and party affairs.
A former State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, Otoabasi Udo, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of neglecting longstanding supporters despite their sacrifices and contributions to his political career.
The letter, titled “Why Am I Forgotten & Forsaken? An Appeal for Reward & Recognition,” was addressed to Mr Akpabio in his capacity as president of the Senate and chairman of the National Assembly.
Mr Udo said he resorted to the open letter because attempts to reach the Senate president through his aides had repeatedly failed.
This development comes months after PREMIUM TIMES reported that Patty Etete, a former House of Representatives member, who represented Akpabio’s federal constituency (Ikot Ekpene/ Essien Udim/ Obot Akara Federal Constituency) and a political associate of Mr Akpabio, wrote an open letter to the Senate president expressing grievances over his treatment before subsequently resigning from the APC.
Unlike Mr Etete, however, Mr Udo’s letter does not announce his resignation from the party; rather, it focuses on what he describes as years of sacrifice without corresponding recognition or reward.
Mr Udo said he joined Mr Akpabio in moving from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC when the party was still in opposition in Akwa Ibom.
He said he later became the Abak chapter coordinator of the Akwa Ibom Democratic Forum (ADF), a political platform he said played a role in building the structure that eventually became the APC in the state.
According to him, supporters of Mr Akpabio were subjected to political persecution at the time because of the senator’s opposition to the state’s dominant political structure.
Mr Udo said his involvement in defending Mr Akpabio made him a target and that some of the articles he wrote in support of the senator created security concerns for him and his family.
“Serving you and bearing the cross was selfless, borne out of love, loyalty and conviction to you and what you stand for,” he wrote.
Mr Udo alleged that he personally funded the ADF chapter’s activities for more than four years and later spent his own money running the APC publicity office.
He said he prepared a roadmap outlining the publicity office’s financial requirements and sent it to key party stakeholders, but received no financial support throughout his tenure.
He claimed to have written more than 100 articles in Mr Akpabio’s defence and issued over 150 press releases for the APC.
He also said he made more than 30 radio and television appearances on behalf of Mr Akpabio and the party.
Mr Udo alleged that he had to pay his own transportation and other expenses for those engagements.
He said some of his political activities became so risky that he and members of his family had to relocate temporarily for safety.
Mr Udo said his concerns became more serious after he was excluded from a recent meeting of “critical stakeholders” in the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.
He said each local government area was expected to nominate 20 stakeholders, but his name was not included among those selected from Abak.
He questioned why he was excluded despite his previous position as state publicity secretary and his longstanding involvement in Mr Akpabio’s political activities.
Mr Udo also complained about the changes in the APC’s political structure in Akwa Ibom following Governor Umo Eno’s movement into the party.
He said he and about 30 other members of the former 37-member state executive were removed from the party structure after new entrants took over their positions.
According to him, those who defended the APC when it was in opposition have now been sidelined.
Mr Udo alleged that more than 700 appointments had been made from Mr Akpabio’s office, but he had not benefited from any appointment or empowerment.
He said he was a member of Mr Akpabio’s 2023 senatorial campaign Central Working Committee and participated in efforts that contributed to the senator’s victory in the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.
He cited the 19,627 votes recorded for Mr Akpabio in Abak Local Government Area, which he said was second only to the result from Essien Udim Local Government Area.
Mr Udo asked why his contributions had not translated into an appointment, empowerment or meaningful recognition.
He said the situation had left him questioning the party’s reward system.
Responding to a media enquiry by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Akpabio’s Special Adviser on Media, Eseme Eyiboh, said the Senate president’s office was aware of the issues raised by Mr Udo but would not address what he described as an internal political grievance through the media.
“There are established channels through which party members may communicate concerns to the appropriate organs and leaders of the party,” Mr Eyiboh said, urging Mr Udo to follow those channels.
