The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has debunked the purported proclamation of Senator Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, as leader of the party in the state.

The party said that by law, the state chairman is the head of the party caucus in the state.

The decision was taken at its second Stakeholders Meeting held over the weekend in Uyo, the state capital.

The meeting was held to review the state of affairs of the party in the first quarter of the year and to report the achievements and challenges facing the party in the State.

In the communique issued after the meeting, the stakeholders “endorsed the decision of the State Executive Committee SEC to declare as a nullity the unilateral proclamation and announcement of Sen. Godswill Akpabio as the State Party Leader of APC in gross violation of the Party’s Constitution in the unauthorised and illegal Stakeholders meeting of Sunday, March 28, 2021″.

The communique partly read: “That the Party hereby reminds every member and the general public that the State Chairman (or Caretaker Chairman as applicable here) is the Chairman of the State Caucus as provided for in Article 12.9 Sub (i) of the party Constitution (October 2014 As Amended) and remains the Party Leader in the State until further notice.”

Those who attended the meeting and signed the communique were Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC; Dr. Ita Udosen, Akwa Ibom APC Caretaker State Chairman; Umana Okon Umana, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA); Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President; Dr. Amadu Atai; Member, South-South APC Reconciliation Committee, Obong Sunny Jackson; Archbishop Samuel Akpan; Chief Godwin Afangideh and Sam Ewang.

Other attendees were: Sir Ibanga Akpabio; Chief Otu Ita Toyo; Rt. Hon. Nse Ntuen; Dora Ebong; Mr. Sonny Ayang; Hon. Uwem Udoma; DIG Ekpoudom (rtd.); Effiong Akwa; Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ukoete; Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ekpenyong; Mr. Austin Ekanem; Barr. Effiong Abia; All members of Akwa Ibom APC State Executive Committee; among others.

The party also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the successes his administration has recorded so far and for his unrelenting effort at tackling corruption, economic and security challenges in the country.