Senator Godswill Akpabio has told President Muhammadu Buhari that 260,000 new members have registered with the ruling All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom after he joined the party.
He explained to Buhari, who is seeking reelection that there are others who also joined from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Akpabio who led a delegation of elders and political leaders from Akwa Ibom to visit Buhari assured him of victory in the South-South state.
“I can predict that the first state in Nigeria to fall to the APC in 2019 Presidential election is Akwa Ibom State, no one can controvert this.
“l still speak with authority because I have my people’s backing to pronounce what I have just pronounced, victory is for APC and victory is for Mr. President come 2019 in Akwa Ibom State.”
Akpabio, who was the Senate Minority leader before his defection to the APC in August, said that his heart was with President Buhari in the 2015 election despite the fact he was a member of the PDP.
He lamented that throughout the PDP’s 16 years in office at the federal level, there was not even one kilometre road project by the federal government in the state.
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Buhari then assured Akpabio and the delegation that the construction of section 5 of the East-West road from Oron (Akwa Ibom) to Calabar (Cross Rivers) to be funded under the forum on China-Africa cooperation has been approved.
He also told the delegation that other road projects worth billions of naira for the south-south geo-political zone had been captured in the 2019 budget.
“Meanwhile, to complete the Cross River, Akwa Ibom Abia axis of the road I have directed the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing as well as the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to provide in the 2019 budget the dualisation of Ikot-Ekpene – Aba axis of the federal highway covering the three states.
“Please recall also that railway projects also cover your state as well as other South – South and South East states of the country.
“I also wish to inform you that the construction of section 5 of the East West road, Oron – Calabar (Cross River state) a major priority project to be funded under the forum on China – Africa Cooperation, arrangement with Chinese government, has received approval,’’ he said.
