Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio says the seven aggrieved governors  might lose their followers if they quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for any other party.

In an interview with State House correspondents yesterday, Akpabio who was reacting to the perceived moves by Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Musa  Kwakwanso (Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) should President Goodluck Jonathan fail to accede to their demands, maintained that the governors' grievances could be addressed through dialogue initiated by Jonathan.

He said they must not take advantage of the president's patience.

Describing the governors' ‘rebellion' against Jonathan as unwarranted, Akpabio warned them against disrespecting the institution of the Presidency.

The governor claimed that many APC members were daily approaching him for the chance to join the PDP, saying the entire nation would be shocked when the bigwigs in the opposition party join the ruling party. 

 "I can tell you the truth. The reality is that some of us that are leaders, we've to be careful because when we're saying we're moving to another political party, our followers may not be going with us. We can also stand in a political party while our followers are moving the other side. But about the PDP, there is no shaking," he said.

"You can't be a good leader unless you're a good follower. I believe strongly also that leadership comes from God. So, the question of rebelling against leadership doesn't occur because if I rebel against the leadership at the federal level, I should expect somebody also to rebel against my leadership at the state level maybe from some of my local governments or thereabouts. And if I expect to be respected as a governor, I should also respect the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It's not important who occupies the position. What is important is that we give respect to the institution of Presidency in Nigeria and that way, the international community will also respect Nigeria."