By Observers Times
The political temperature in Akwa Ibom has reached boiling point following Governor Umo Eno’s official defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The move, which confirms months of speculation, is now sparking intense debate over governance priorities, political loyalty, and the ethics of executive patronage.
At the heart of the controversy is not only the governor’s sudden change of allegiance, but also the extravagant gifts of brand-new luxury vehicles valued at several billions of naira to federal lawmakers a development that has ignited public outrage and widened the rift within the state’s political elite.
Federal lawmakers representing Akwa Ibom in the National Assembly were recently gifted 2025 model Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUVs by Governor Umo Eno. Each vehicle is reportedly worth a staggering N180 million. With Akwa Ibom having 10 representatives in the National Assembly three Senators and seven members of the House of Representatives the estimated cost of the SUVs given out by the state government alone amounts to approximately N1.8 billion.
The situation took a dramatic turn when it emerged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had also gifted these same lawmakers similar luxury vehicles and Toyota Hilux pickups as backups.
The dual gifting from both the state and federal levels has raised eyebrows and fuelled suspicions that the vehicles were more than ceremonial tokens of appreciation they are seen by critics as “defection packages,” calculated to lubricate the machinery of political realignment and secure loyalty ahead of the governor’s move to the APC.
A Strategic Exit or a Betrayal?
Governor Umo Eno officially announced his defection on Thursday during a meeting with his cabinet at the Government House in Uyo. He made it unequivocally clear that all commissioners, executive council members, and political appointees must either join him in the APC or vacate their posts.
“We want our commissioners and members of Exco, appointees, and those of you who are saying that you would not come, you are free absolutely not to join me, but you won’t be in my State Executive Council,” the governor stated. “Prepare to resign the day I announce that I am moving because you cannot; you are an appointee, and your loyalty is fully to me. You can’t be in my cabinet and play anti-party. It is what it is.”
He continued, “I am even begging you to come, you normally don’t expect it. You have the right not to support me again, but the right you don’t have is to remain in my cabinet after I leave. I am making it clear.”
With this move, Umo Eno becomes the first sitting governor in Akwa Ibom’s 26-year PDP history to switch allegiance to the APC. He also becomes the second PDP governor from the South-South region to defect within a month, following the path of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.
The implications are far-reaching in a state where the PDP has long been considered more than a political party it has been likened to a religion. Since 1999, the PDP has produced all governors, secured over 90 percent of chairmanship and councillors positions across the 31 local government areas, and maintained a deep-rooted political machinery that is difficult to dislodge.
Fallout with Udom Emmanuel
Governor Eno’s defection has created significant tension between him and his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, who handpicked and backed him against all odds during the 2023 elections. Mr Emmanuel, who remains a staunch PDP loyalist, has reportedly refused to follow his successor to the APC. This emerging cold war between the two men is seen as a betrayal by some members of the PDP family and has set the stage for an unfolding political duel over the soul of the party in Akwa Ibom.
During the same cabinet meeting where he announced his defection, Governor Eno also made it clear that he intends to retain influence over the PDP structure in the state even while operating under the APC.
“Contrary to insinuations that I want to run both parties, far from it. And what is wrong with being interested? We would not leave the PDP for thieves to come and hijack it and use it to fight against us,” he said. “We will lead the structure of the party so that they can work together and stay so that people don’t come from outside and think Umo Eno has moved, let me come and hijack the party. No, let the structure of the party remain.”His stance has drawn sharp criticism from both camps, with observers accusing him of trying to play a dangerous dual-role that could further destabilise the state’s fragile political equilibrium.
Governor Eno has cited the PDP’s internal crisis, particularly the protracted legal battle over the national secretary’s position, as a major factor behind his decision.
“It is no more news that I am leaving the party. If you don’t know this by now, I don’t know what else you know,” he stated. “As a PDP person, I love PDP. I want to stay in PDP, but clearly, I don’t have the roadmap to guarantee that I will be able to have a smooth sail in the elections.”
He warned that unresolved legal issues could lead to disqualification during future elections. “I am not going to be stupid doing that. I love my party. And in any case, we are running like there’s no party.”
Mr Eno also pointed to his admiration for President Bola Tinubu as another reason for his move. “Again, I support this president. I know well that this president did not create the situation (the economic crisis) we are in. I don’t know how to mince words. I cannot be in the PDP today and support the president of another party. It will be clearly in violation of party guidelines.”
He continued, “I don’t know how to flip-flop. So, if I am supporting the president, let me go to where I can say so and state what he has done. I don’t want to practice anti-party. I don’t have the kind of strength that Mr Wike has. I am a very simple man by nature.”
Governor Eno has previously raised eyebrows within the PDP for openly endorsing President Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio for re-election in 2027 a move considered a blatant breach of party discipline.
Amid rising inflation, naira depreciation, and deepening economic hardship, the spectacle of luxury SUVs being distributed by both state and federal governments has struck many Nigerians as tone-deaf.
Official labour data indicates that Akwa Ibom State recorded a 5.1% unemployment rate in 2023, according to the Nigeria Labour Force Survey Annual Report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The report also shows that the state’s youth NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) rate stood at 12.4%.
