By Dennis Udoma

Since the defection by Senator Nelson Effiong representing Akwa Ibom South in the National Assembly from PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, last week, there have been mixed feelings in some quarters. While some condemned the decision, others said the lawmaker had taken the right move that will spell doom for the PDP in the state in 2019.
Among those speaking in favour of the defection is a former Commissioner for Science and Technology and National Coordinator, ONE for Change, Mr. Samuel Efanga. Excerpts:

WHAT is your  impression on Senator Nelson Effiong’s defection to APC?

I congratulate him for the bold step he has taken to free himself from the bondage of remaining in PDP. Also, to thank him for some of the positions he has taken on the issues of Akwa Ibom State administration. It is good for people at that level to begin to speak out and, I think this will help the politics in the state to develop.

Sam Efanga

So, the decision to defect from PDP based on his conscience after consultations with his people is a step in the right direction and, as a person who has followed the development, I called him, to express my happiness and I welcome him to APC on behalf of One for Change Organization in the spirit of democracy. I totally express my appreciation for the bold decision he has taken so far.
But PDP in the State says, it will reclaim the seat from Senator Effiong?
That is an empty threat from a faulty foundation. The mandate itself came from a faulty foundation that morally, nobody from PDP can rightly say that they have a mandate in the first place that was given by the people.
So, for them to say they would reclaim what they did not have from the beginning is laughable, after all, everybody saw what happened in Akwa Ibom State in 2015. What is morally wrong cannot be politically correct no matter how people would look at it. That has been my position and so, the PDP does not have any mandate to reclaim in the first instance.

Mandate  to reclaim

On the moral or constitutional grounds, it is clear that in the event of crisis in the party, or where there is a merger between two or more parties, anybody is free to move to another party. So, nobody can claim ignorance of the fact that, PDP is in a deep crisis that has prolonged and is almost consuming the party. So, no right thinking person will continue to wait until the party is totally destroyed before he can take a decision.
As it is, the senator has taken the right decision and I want to encourage others who are yet to do so, to be bold enough to take a decision like Senator Effiong, and not wait until the party is totally destroyed. The way the party is heading towards total self-destruction, no right thinking person should wait until the party is totally destroyed, you might not have where to go. So, I call on all those who were afraid of any consequence or whatever fear, to let go by taking the rightful decision and join the team.
What do you mean by faulty foundation?
I have already said in my reaction after the 2015 elections that we witnessed a monumental fraud in the electoral process that threw up some of these persons. In fact, a lot of people were disenfranchised from electing leaders of their choices and we saw the height of impurity done by the PDP. That is why I am saying that it was a faulty foundation which made some people to benefit from the fraud.
So, today, PDP cannot morally say that, they have a mandate from all the levels of elections that were conducted in the state. They should not forget so soon, though we have forgiven them but, we don’t forget what happened in the state in the name of election. We want to pray that, may we never witness such fraud again in the processes of election, selecting representatives which we have paid for it. The kind of crisis we are facing today is as a result of the impunity of the PDP in selecting the representatives of the party into positions of responsibility.
Are we making progress?
Why we have not made any progress is because of that faulty foundation.

Very wrong  arrangement

So, I thank Sen. Nelson Effiong. If he has come to the realization that, he was in a very wrong arrangement and decided to free himself by speaking out. That is why I welcome him because it is good to speak out when you notice that things are not going the way it should be. If you cannot do anything, you can help by speaking out; even if your voice cannot be heard but, let your conscience be free that have spoken when you saw some levels of evil that was affecting your society or that was threatening your generation.