Member representing Càlabar Municipal/Odukpani federal constituency, Bassey Akiba, has said he has plans to defect to ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akiba, a Labour Party member, stated this while debunking rumours making the rounds on social media space that he had concluded plans to defect to APC because he has been hobnobbing with APC members in the state.
In an exclusive chat with LEADERSHIP in Càlabar yesterday, Akiba said he is still a bonafide member of the Labour Party despite his closeness with members of APC in his constituency.
“There is bound to be rumour in any political environment. For me I am still a bonafide member of the Labour Party. I am still a bonafide member of the Labour party.
“I have no intention to defect from the Labour Party, I am a representative of the people of my constituency, I hobnob with all categories of people in my constituency because I was elected by all calibre of individuals to represent all the parties.
“As far as my constituency is concerned, I am working with everybody irrespective of party affiliation. Irrespective of the fact that the Labour Party is the party that brought me into office.
“I am working with both the APC, PDP, Labour Party, and non party people residing in the constituency which I represent.
“I have no intention to defect to any other party. I remained a bonafide member of the Labour Party. I enjoy working with the Labour Party,” the lawmaker stated.
On the issue of autonomy of local government which has received so much attention in the media space, he said, “It is absurd for anyone to say that local government elections should not have autonomy.
“I strongly advocate for speedy conduct of local government elections to usher in council chairmen.
I was a beneficiary of the local government system. I was a local government council chairman for Odukpani local government area.
“I know how important it is for the local government council Executive to take full charge of local government administration.
“It will be ridiculous for any one not to support the conduct of local government elections just because he or she wants his cronies to remain in control of local government funds,” he said.