Akpabio: Boko Haram operated freely when PDP was in charge

Godswill Akpabio, former senate minority leader, has commended the current administration’s efforts in fighting Boko Haram insurgents.

He said unlike the era of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when insurgents “moved around freely”, they are no longer in control of any territory in the north-east.

Akpabio was in the PDP for more than 16 years — as a commissioner, governor and senator — until recently when he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking during a Channels TV programme on Monday, he said insurgency was at its height under the previous administration.

“President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has come; it has shown a lot of commitment towards fighting insurgents,” Akpabio said.

“At that time when we were in charge, the PDP, I can tell you that so many communities and local governments across the north-east were under the control of Boko Haram. Their flags were flying everywhere, and they were moving around freely.”

He commended the present government for curtailing the insurgency and expressed hope that other security issues in the country will be addressed.

According to him, “when a country is in crisis; when there is an emergency, all hands must be on deck … As nationalists, we want Nigeria to survive – it doesn’t matter the political party”.