Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State officially defected from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, ADC, on June 6, 2025. The development took the state by storm, but it was not surprising to keen observers who had earlier suspected that the governor would dump the PDP.
Days before the cross-carpeting, he had, during his last Executive Committee meeting, as PDP governor, ordered his cabinet members and all appointees to follow him or resign their appointments; an order that generated rumpus in the state and questioned his democratic credentials.
The governor said that the need to link the state to national grid, completion of the Ibom Deep Seaport and other signature projects necessitated his defection.
He also said that, even in APC, he would still control the structure and political destiny of the state PDP, warning suspicious elements to drop possible plans to use the PDP structure against his second term aspiration and political convenience in the state.
While his supporters justified his reasons, many indigenes and residents viewed the completion of Ibom Deep Seaport project as a scam to woo support and calm frayed nerves, especially his supporters, who felt he had not compensated them for their support during his election.
Read also: Former allies scream ‘betrayal’, predict crisis as Umo Eno defects to APC
They viewed the governor’s political behaviour as intimidation and political strategy to mobilise and coerce the South-South against a northern plot to retrieve power in 2027.
True to his pronouncements, Governor Eno initially appeared to be calling the tune in the PDP, until when the PDP attempted to truncate his continued dominance, by dissolving the state EXCO and replacing it with the Igwat-led committee.
The dissolution of the state EXCO of the PDP overtly deflated the governor’s perceived grip on the PDP, even though the Aniekan Akpan-led executive committee was still parading itself as the duly elected officers of the PDP, attending almost every state government’s events, against political culture and systemic convention.
Weeks have run into months, yet, the promise of completion of the Ibom Deep Seaport remains unfulfilled, increasing the volume of suspicion and expectations.
The first allegation that greeted the governor was alleged marginalisation and perceived plot of hijack by the new APC.
However, Aniekan Umana, State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, dismissed the allegation, saying the governor has won the heart of the state by massive empowerments, inclusive and participatory governance, compassionate homes, sustainable projects across the state.
On the other side, the old APC members accuse the governor of lavishing state funds on empowering the rich and ignoring those, who truly need empowerment.
With particular reference to the governor’s recent new Prado Jeeps to former Deputy Governors, Members of the National Assembly from the state and other privileged stakeholders, they reasoned that the cost of the gift items, should have been channelled into addressing the alarming unemployment and high cost of living in the oil-rich state.
This group believes that the governor does not hold grip of the state in view of the ‘fact’ that he is not connected to the masses and is not addressing the felt-needs of the people.
Again, they alleged that the governor is sitting on his predecessor’s political structure, having inherited almost all commissioners, aides and political stakeholders from Udom Emmanuel.
”Even the governor knows that most of his aides and supporters were forced on him. They are still loyal to former governor Udom Emmanuel, who brought them to government,” an APC chieftain, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent.
On the Ibom Deep Seaport, a Marine engineer and political stakeholder from Oron Local Government Area expressed worry that the project may not see the light of day under the current government.
”The completion and operation of Ibom Deep Seaport will certainly deflate the two seaports in Lagos and this will have a negative effect on the economy of Lagos.
“Many of the South Eastern, and South Western businessmen will prefer Akwa Ibom Seaport, which will be deeper and closer. I can assure you that it will not work yet, maybe later. It was a trick to woo and capture Akwa Ibom for the APC.
“The federal government is constructing and even dredging artificial seaports in nearly all the western states to decongest the two Lagos seaports.
“The federal government is processing approval for Dangote to build a seaport in Ogun State, especially at the Olokola Free Trade zone. The federal government has also approved a Bakassi Seaport for Cross River State. These are the reasons I think it might not be completed in this administration,” he said.
Even as the leader of the APC in the state, old APC members believe the governor is not entirely in control of the state political direction, not even his party, citing marginalisation, selective empowerment and alleging plot to hijack the party.
Others are confident that the comatose state of the PDP will cripple every opposition to Governor Eno’s second term flight.
Yet, others believe the PDP can spring surprises in the state, when taken into consideration that many of the governor’s supporters are more loyal to the former governor and that many old members of the APC feel sidelined.
There’s also the palpable fear that aggrieved members of the APC and the PDP might, as rumoured, may go into a sympathy alliance with the African Democratic Congress, ADC, if the ADC presents a popular governorship candidate to challenge the incumbent in 2027.
For now, the challenge of dual loyalty, infiltration, recycled officials and alleged selective empowerment have created bad blood and uncertainty in the state.
But time will tell.
