Former Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday vowed to take the people of Akwa Ibom state and the South South to the centre for meaningful visibility.

The 55-year-old former governor of Akwa Ibom formally defected from opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) at a mega rally held at the Ikot Ekpene township stadium.

He told the crowd that he decided to join APC because he discovered that President Muhammadu Buhari “is a man of integrity and a nationalist’’.

Akpabio affirmed that he had decided to join a party that would sweep away poverty and impunity.

He said that he joined APC to help salvage the country.

“The country is at war and all the hands must be on deck to salvage the situation and not to aggravate it.

“As keepers of national emergency, everyone should put heads together. I decided to join to emancipate the people and provide succour for the people.’’

He said, the PDP of today had no vision and full of arrogance.

Earlier, the Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC), Mr. Nsima Ekere, disclosed that change had come to Akwa Ibom and SouthSouth.

He said, Akwa Ibom has joined the progressive states because the people were dissatisfied with the long misrule of the PDP.

He said, Akpabio built the people and provided them with infrastructure but the present PDP government was a failure.

Ekere conclude that the people have agreed to return President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.