After several months of grandstanding, the controversial governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno pulls the rug off the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) feet in the state by collapsing his government’s political structure into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in a move that puts PDP members in the state in disarray
By Jude Nzennaya, Port Harcourt
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno has finally made good his avowal to migrate to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a member, dumping the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on which ticket he got elected into office. Governor Eno officially joined the APC on the Sallah Day’s celebration, Friday, June 6, 2025 in a defection ceremony that witnessed some party stalwarts in Uyo the state capital.
Speaking at the event, Eno said the decision followed three months of extensive consultations with key political stakeholders across the state.
He said, “For some time now, the political space-particularly in this state and across the nation-has been filled with speculation about my potential defection from the PDP, the platform that facilitated my rise to the position of governor”.
“This conversation has generated diverse opinions. Today, I am here to address those lingering questions. As the Dalai Lama once said, ‘We should always be open to change, but not let go of our shared values.’”
Governor Eno confirmed that he had submitted his formal resignation letter from the PDP to his ward chairman, with copies also delivered to the party’s state and national leadership.
According to him, “Earlier this morning, I submitted a formal letter of resignation to the ward chairman of the PDP. Copies were also sent to both the state and national chairmen. I want to thank the PDP for their support, their love, and the opportunity to serve Akwa Ibom under their banner over the past two years.”
While stating that his decision to dump the party that brought him to power was not made lightly, but came after a series of engagements with political leaders and party stakeholders, he said that his final consultation, took place during a Thursday evening meeting with key PDP figures.
In his words, “I believe no one in the political history of this state has consulted as widely as I have before making such a move, I did it out of respect for all of you-as stakeholders in the Akwa Ibom project. I needed your counsel and felt it was important to explain the reasons behind this decision.”
Since early this year, Governor Eno has not left anybody in doubt as to his cherished intention to dump the PDP for the APC. Speaking at a town hall meeting in Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency recently, Eno had said, “It is time to move and align the state to APC at the Federal level”.
According to Eno: “We’re progressively moving forward, linking Akwa Ibom to the center. And I know you’re going with us. Are you going with us, so we can connect to the center?
“We thank you for your support. I’ve gone round to consult and so we have done enough consultation. The time has come that we will move. And we will go to where God is leading us.
“Do not be afraid. Believe in us. Believe in President Bola Tinubu because the future is bright. We are already a minority state in Nigeria.
“If we come again and start breaking ourselves into pieces, we become the minority of the minorities and cannot get anything.”
Eno has always spoken highly of President Bola Tinubu, stressing that the president will remain in power till 2031. Last April, the governor had hinted on defecting to the APC because, according to him, the PDP no longer had the capacity to take him to the next destination.
As Eno defection palaver raged, political analysts did not take it too serious as defection to the ruling APC had become a norm because of the allegation that the presidency has been plotting a one-party state as the presidential election of 2027 approaches fast.
But what aroused criticism and pictured the governor in the garb of a fickle politician and a despot, was when he told his appointees last May that any one of them that would not join him to defect to the APC must resign from his cabinet. Unknown to the governor, a member of the Government House Uyo Press Corps, from Channels Television identified as Chris Mofatt and his cameraman had a video recording of Eno’s threat which was aired by the TV Station.
Furiously, Eno pronounced the Channels TV’s Correspondent suspended from covering events of the state. The video clip that went viral threw Eno off balance as he was perceived as an intolerant governor and politician. The perception by the public that governor Eno can be that ruthless elicited his reported dismissal of the Channels TV’s Correspondent Tuesday, May 27, 2025 in a punitive motive.
Widespread condemnation trailed the Akwa Ibom state governor’s dismissal, through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Ekerete Udoh, of the Mofatt’s headed crew of Channels TV from Government House Uyo, after the cameraman shared video went viral on Umo warning all his political appointees to align with his looming defection to the APC.
However, at the commissioning of the upgraded 14.8KM Ikot Ubo-Odot Road transversing Nsit Ubium, Nsit Atai Local Government Areas, the governor, in denial, said the Channels TV’s crew was not dismissed but changed in perceived standard procedure.
