PDP will perform well in 2015 – Akpabio

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum said the party will perform very well in the 2015 general election in spite of current crises facing it.
Akpabio made this remark after visiting Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State in Gombe on Thursday.
He said the PDP was a robust and national party, which had the capacity to come out of the crises stronger.
On the defection of five PDP governors to the All Progressives Congress, he said some of the deputy governors and party supporters did not defect with their governors.
He said: “PDP is very robust.
“It is such a large party.
“It is a national party and has presence in the 774 Local Government Areas of the country.
“Nigerians know that PDP is the only national party.
“It is the only party that is not owned by any individual and it is the only party that is not owned by any tribal group or godfather.
“So, I can see the PDP doing very well in 2015 as soon as some of the problems are over.
“These are just internal challenges that the PDP is working on.”
On reconciliation in the PDP, Akpabio said it was good for people to be given the opportunity to express themselves.
He said Dankwambo had assured him that Gombe remained a PDP state.
Akpabio said the achievements recorded by Dankwambo and other PDP states would reflect in the general election.
Akpabio had during the visit called for religious and ethnic tolerance in the country to ensure development.
He commended the governor for ensuring cordial existence and religious tolerance in the state, which he said accounted for the development strides recorded in two and half years.
The governor urged other states to emulate the government and people of Gombe State in ensuring peace, security and harmony.
“When you have harmony and peace, you will have development and that is why the resources you put in there will show,” he said.
Akpabio said he had deliberately implemented policies that gave sense of belonging to Muslims in Akwa Ibom State by sponsoring some of them for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and assisted them financially.
Akpabio condoled with Dankwambo on the death of his father-in-law, Alhaji Inuwa Gombe.
In his response, Dankwambo said he had ensured financial prudence in the monthly N2.3 billion allocation to the state after spending N1.5 billion on salaries.
According to him, he has constructed over 638 km of roads, constructed and rehabilitated schools, provided water and many other developmental projects.
The governors held a meeting for more than one hour.