Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State have taken over the building hitherto occupied by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as their state secretariat along Ikot-Ekpene Road in Uyo, the state capital.

The PDP had relocated from the building to another rented apartment on Edet Akpan Avenue about three years ago leaving the building vacant, except for some churches that have rented a section of the duplex.

On Saturday, some APC members blocked a section of the road in front of the complex as they held their first meeting during which they moved a motion that the place should henceforth, become their permanent state secretariat.

A former gubernatorial candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator Johh Akpanudoedeghe moved the motion which was seconded by the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and former Deputy Governor of the state, Nsima Ekere.

While seconding the motion, Ekere said the secretariat was significant as the building was used by patriotic Akwa Ibom indigenes in 1998 to install the governorship of the state in May 1999, adding that with the support of all Akwa Ibomites, the same feat would be repeated in 2019.

The secretariat was thus inaugurated by the APC National Chairman, Adam Oshiomhole, who was represented by the South-South National Vice Chairman of the party, Hillary Eta.

Shortly after the inauguration, two former House of Representatives members in the state, Bassey Etim and Esio Okwong, who represented Uyo and Oron federal constituencies respectively between 2003 and 2007 under the platform of the PDP announced their  defection to the state chapter of the APC.

Welcoming the defectors, Eta assured them that they would be given the rights and privileges as accrued to all members, urging them to join the old members of the party towards ensuring that the APC emerges victorious in the forthcoming 2019 general election.

“You are all welcome to our party. You will enjoy all rights and privileges as members of this party. You are expected to use your wealth of experience to ensure the success of APC in 2019,” he said.

But reacting to the development, the PDP said APC would continue to inherit its abandoned property from electoral candidates, membership and even down to buildings.

The Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Ini Ememobong said the party had since abandoned the secretariat.

“Remember in the last election, we abandoned a governorship candidate, they took him over; we abandoned two senatorial candidates, they also took over,” Ememobong said.