The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State has dismissed rumours that Governor Umo Eno is planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), following his recent endorsement of President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio for re-election in 2027.
Governor Eno’s public support for the two APC leaders has fueled speculation of a looming defection, especially as some top Akwa Ibom government officials, speaking anonymously, have confirmed that the rumours have substance.
“It’s something that’s troubling us. We don’t even know how to handle it if it becomes a reality,” one senior official told our Correspondent.
Eno recently explained his support for Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom and current Senate president, by arguing that Akpabio stands a better chance of being re-elected to the top legislative post than a first-time senator from the same district.
“Anyone who wants to go to the Senate in Ikot Ekpene should wait. Unless you’re running to be Senate president — and you know that’s not possible. Let’s support the one we have,” Eno said at a recent event.
However, the governor has not publicly explained why he also endorsed President Tinubu, nor has he confirmed any plans to leave the PDP.
Reacting to the speculation, PDP spokesperson Edwin Ebiese described the defection talk as baseless.
“No credible platform has reported that the governor has said he is leaving the PDP,” Ebiese told HEADLINENEWS.NEWS. “Until that happens, it remains a rumour, and I won’t respond to rumours.”
Despite the PDP’s denial, APC supporters in the state are optimistic. “I can’t wait to see the results of this,” said Imaobong Akpan, a member of the APC in Akwa Ibom. “If our governor and the rest of the PDP come over, I’ll be very happy. That’s been my prayer for years.”
When reminded that no official confirmation has been made, she replied, “I can tell you it’s a done deal.”
Akpan praised Governor Eno’s inclusive leadership style, which she said has created a rare political synergy between APC and PDP in the state, though she expressed concern about the weakening of political opposition.
Otoabasi Udo, APC’s spokesperson in the state, added, “You haven’t heard the last from Eno and Akpabio. One of them will eventually fold into the other. If that happens, it’s a win for us.”
Akwa Ibom has been a PDP stronghold since 1999, with the party consistently holding the governorship. Should Governor Eno jump ship, it would mark a seismic shift in the state’s political landscape — and potentially challenge the long-standing belief that “PDP is a religion in Akwa Ibom.”
Senate President Akpabio, who governed Akwa Ibom from 2007 to 2015, defected to the APC in 2018 after facing scrutiny from the EFCC. Though he lost his 2019 re-election bid under the APC, he was later appointed Minister of Niger Delta Affairs by former President Muhammadu Buhari. In 2023, he returned to the Senate and emerged as Senate President.
In what many view as political deal-making, Governor Eno revealed at a town hall meeting that Akpabio had pledged to back his second-term bid.
“The Senate president has said it many times, and his wife too, that they’ll support me for a second term. So, if I support you and you support me, everybody wins. No fight, just play,” the governor said.
