Breaking: Akwa Ibom deputy governor reportedly defects to APC

Pa Moses Ekpo, deputy governor of Akwa Ibom state has reportedly resigned, according to a tweet by @APCNewspaper and Ibom.com.ng

The resignation has not been confirmed officially by the PDP controlled Akwa Ibom state government, but the APC organ said Ekpo, the oldest deputy governor in Nigeria, is heading to join Senator Godswill Akpabio into the All Progressives Congress.

Both are political allies. Akpabio was a former governor of the state for eight years (2007-2015) and installed incumbent Governor Udom Emmanuel.

Ekpo, a veteran journalist, diplomat and administrator was born on 22 December 1941 at Abak in Akwa Ibom state.

READ ALSO: Woman allegedly stabs husband to death over telephone call

He attended both the government school and Holy Family College, in Abak for his primary and secondary education before going to the London Polytechnic, University of Wisconsin, Madison, U.S.A and World Intellectual Property Organization Academy (WIPO), Geneva Switzerland.

He holds a Diploma and B.Sc. in Journalism and a WIPO Academy Diploma as well as a certificate of the United States Patent Academy, in addition to several certificates and diplomas earned from many international workshops and seminars.

In a public service career spanning over four decades, Mr. Ekpo had served as proof reader, reporter and editor in several Nigerian newspapers and broadcasting organisations. He served in senior editorial and management positions in the Daily Express, Daily Times, West African Pilot, the Morning Post, Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Service and Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service.

He was for years the Nigerian country Correspondent for the Voice of America (VOA), Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Ekpo was also general manager of Cross River state Newspaper Corporation, publishers of the Nigerian Chronicle Group of Newspapers.

He also served as chief information officer in the Cross River state government as well as the chief public relations officer to that government.

He was also assistant director of information and acting federal director of information and director of Nigerian information service with concurrent accreditation to Europe and the Americas.

He was commissioner for information, social development, youths a and ports at different times in both Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.

Among other roles performed in the past, Ekpo was director, Nigerian Copyright Council. director-general, Nigerian Copyright Commission, president of the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization and a federal commissioner, National Population Commission, Abuja.

The latter was the last position held until his election into office as the deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom state.

Meanwhile, TRACK NEWS had reported that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday, August 5, kicked against the speculated defection of the minority leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.

The party members under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Progressives Watch petitioned the national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, warning on the impending dangers of defection of Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state to the APC.