Udom vs EFCC: APC Defends Akpabio Amid PDP’s Allegations

Udom vs EFCC: APC Defends Akpabio Amid PDP’s Allegations

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has vehemently rejected accusations from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regarding what it (PDP) described as a smear campaign against former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.

APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, characterized the PDP’s claims as ludicrous, asserting that their attempts to shift blame onto Senate President Godswill Akpabio are unfounded.

The backdrop to the trade of words by the two major political parties in the country arose following the arrest of Udom Emmanuel by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over allegations of involvement in a N700 billion fraud scheme.

The PDP quickly rallied to defend it’s former governor, alleging a well-coordinated effort by Akpabio to undermine the party’s reputation through calculated media manipulation.

In a statement titled “PDP HAS EXPIRED, CANNOT BE DISCREDITED”, signed today, by Morka, APC dismissed the PDP’s assertions as “absurd” and suggested that the party has long lost any credibility worth salvaging.

“It is rather comical that the PDP thinks itself capable of being discredited, when it knows quite well there is absolutely nothing left of it that can be discredited. “Public officials from across political parties have faced scrutiny by anti-graft agencies, and Udom Emmanuel’s case must not be an exception,” Morka stated.

He insisted that if the former governor has been summoned by the EFCC, he should focus on addressing the accusations rather than engaging in political theatrics.

“The PDP and Udom Emmanuel must know that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) are agencies with wide statutory powers to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption in our country.

“If Udom Emmanuel has been invited by the agencies, he should quietly go and answer to the allegations. It is not, and should not become, an occasion for PDP to cast lots or go berserk about imagined political foes they allege may be behind the allegations,” he said.

The APC Spokesperson emphasized that the President of the Senate has no involvement in any alleged smear tactics against Emmanuel, suggesting that instead of attacking Akpabio, the PDP should redirect its efforts towards finding competent leadership for its upcoming elections.

“You would think that decrepit PDP would keep itself usefully occupied in search of therapy for its self-inflicted paralysis, and finding a courageous Volunteer Aspirant to fly its tattered flag in the November, 2025, governorship election in Anambra State,” he quipped.

“The PDP and Udom Emmanuel should leave the President of the Senate out of their hot mess. Senator Akpabio remains laser-focused on weaving a strong legislative pillar of support for the bold and transformative reform agenda of our determined President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Morka noted.