President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday received Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Bassey Eno, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The meeting was also attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who hails from the state.
Governor Eno, elected on the platform on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently dumped the party and defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akpabioubu’s Key South-South Powerbroker as Political Alignments Shift
The recent meeting between President Bola Tinubu, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio at further solidified Akpabio’s growing influence as a political strategist and a unifying force in Nigeria’s South-South region.
Akpabio’s Role in Consolidating Tinubu’s South-South Support.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has been actively positioning himself as a key facilitator of President Tinubu’s political agenda in the South-South. His recent remarks at a stakeholders’ meeting in Edo State, where he emphasized Tinubu’s leadership qualities, were met with broad endorsement—most notably from former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, now a key Tinubu ally.
The Edo meeting, attended by governors, National Assembly members, and other political leaders from the region, reportedly ended with a “unanimous adoption” of Tinubu as the preferred leader of the South-South. This development is significant, given that the region has traditionally been a stronghold of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Influencing Governor Eno to Join the APC
A major highlight of Akpabio’s political maneuvering was his role in convincing Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno—a PDP governor—to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Sources close to the negotiations reveal that Akpabio leveraged his deep political connections and persuasive diplomacy to bring Eno into the APC fold.
Governor Eno’s defection is a strategic win for the APC, as it further weakens the PDP’s grip on the South-South. Analysts suggest that Akpabio’s ability to broker such a move demonstrates his growing clout as a regional leader capable of rallying support for Tinubu ahead of future political contests.
Wike’s Endorsement and the Bigger Picture
Nyesom Wike’s vocal backing of Akpabio’s leadership in the South-South adds another layer of significance to the unfolding political dynamics. Wike, a former PDP stalwart who now serves as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been instrumental in reshaping political alliances in the region. His alignment with Akpabio and Tinubu suggests a broader realignment that could redefine the South-South’s political landscape.
Implications for 2027 and Beyond.
With Akpabio at the forefront of rallying South-South support for Tinubu, the APC appears to be making deliberate inroads into a region that has historically resisted the party. If this trend continues, it could significantly alter Nigeria’s political calculus ahead of the 2027 general elections.
For now, Akpabio’s ability to bring Governor Eno into the APC and secure regional backing for Tinubu underscores his rising profile as a master political tactician—one whose influence may well shape the future of Nigerian politics.
President Bola Tinubu on Friday received Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The meeting, which took place behind closed doors, underscores ongoing consultations between the President and state governors across the country.
Eno, who is the All Progressives Congress leader in Akwa Ibom State, was accompanied Akpabio, a former governor of the state and two other politicians from the state to the meeting.
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