Why Saraki must resign now – Senator Akpabio

Former minority leader and Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West,
Godswill Akpabio has advised the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki to
honourably resign rather than been forced out of office.

Addressing a press conference after Wednesday's plenary in Abuja, he
said, it was a norm the world over that when a lawmaker resigns from
his former political party, he relinquishes his office to allow the
majority party form their leadership.

He said, Saraki should borrow a leaf from him as a former minority
leader, saying he honourably resigned the position when he defected
from PDP to APC to pave way for PDP to elect their minority leader.

"It's a tradition all over the world that when you defected to another
party even as a Senate President like Saraki did, to resign from the
office of the Senate President.

"APC is still the majority party and they need to form a new
leadership. The Senate President should honourably resign just like I
did," Akpabio insisted.

Speaking further on his experiences as a member of the APC, he said,
he was fulfilled being a member of a ruling party, adding that he
defected to the APC in national interest.

He further explained that his advice and suggestions must not be
looked at with suspicion being a part of the ruling party now.

He came hard on his former party, PDP for doing nothing in the
South-South in the last 16 years, adding that PDP government did not
construct a kilometre of road for those years.

"Having moved from PDP to APC, I felt fulfilled. My advice and
suggestions in the national interest would not be looked upon with
suspicion by the government in power again.

"I moved to APC in national interest. I don't believe in bringing
government into being and will not support that government to succeed.

"In the last 16 years, I did not see 1 kilometre of road done by PDP
government in Akwa Ibom state, but today, APC government is
constructing the road from Akwa Ibom to Calabar.

"The road has been a death trap and I must thank this government for that.

"From the national and local perspectives, people look at me as a
leader and I must tell you that in 2019, it would be difficult for any
other party to penetrate the South-South. "