About Six months after he officially defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on June 6, 2025, Akwa Ibom State governor Umo Eno’s larger-than-life images still adorned the Atan Offot, Uyo, office of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a platform he rode to power in 2023, LEADERSHIP gathered on yesterday.
Along with his campaign billboards still strategically displayed at the premises, checks revealed that Police operatives have been permanently stationed there, as our Correspondent spotted the camouflage uniforms of the policemen washed and spread to dry.
“The Policemen had been here since the factional PDP Exco led by one Osagiefo Igwatt Umoren, attempted a civilian coup to take over and force the elected Chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan, and other officials out of office,” a party chieftain told our Correspondent.
It could be recalled that trouble started when Elder Akpan led other executive members to receive the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), minister, Barr Nyesom Wike, who was in the state to honour the official invitation of governor Eno, to commission the Ika-Azumini road, as part of activities marking the state creation last September.
Consequently, the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP, announced the dissolution of the state Exco, and named a new Exco led by Osagiefo Umoren, in its stead, but the decision was immediately countered by the embattled party’s national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
The governor’s defection to the APC has adversely affected the fortunes of the once ruling party in the state with most of his political appointees joining him in the APC.
However, fears were nursed at different quarters that the party Secretariat touted as the biggest in the country would also suffer neglect due to cash constraints as the governor was expected to channel his resources and support to his new party, despite his vow to sustain funding of the two parties side by side.
A visit to the PDP secretariat after the defection, showed that the official portrait of the governor was still on display in strategic offices while the Police patrol vehicle stationed at the entrance to ward – off intruders, especially the parallel Exco from straying into the expansive compound remained in place.
Akpan had shortly in a press conference told journalists that he remained in charge of the party in the state, urging members of the party to disregard the earlier statement sacking his Exco.
“Furthermore, we have it on good authority that the NWC of our party did not convene any formal sitting to take such a decision.
“The National Secretary of the PDP, Sen. Samuel N. Anyanwu, has issued a press release discountenancing such publications, affirming that no formal sitting of the NWC was held to sanction the dissolution of our State Exco”, Akpan had maintained.
But a group the PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice (APJ) led by a party chieftain, Dr Tom Fredfish welcomed the sacking of Akpan’s executive, accusing it of anti- party activities by still fraternising with governor Eno, “to further weakens the party structure in the state.”
“it is an open secret that Aniekan Akpan has been fraternising with the APC while pretending to remain in the PDP. No one can serve two masters; therefore, he should stop deceiving the public, quit the PDP, and formally register with his new political home – the APC,” FredFish stated.
