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 state headquarters of his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
LEADERSHIP reports that Governor Eno was voted into office on the PDP platform in 2023.
Apart from Eno’s campaign billboards still strategically displayed at the PDP office premises, checks revealed that Police operatives have permanently remained there to guard the facility.
“The Policemen have been here since the factional PDP Exco led by one Osagiefo Igwatt Umoren, attempted a civilian coup to take over and forced 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 anniversary of the state’s 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, it its place, 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.
On a visit to the PDP secretariat, it could be noticed that the official portrait of the governor still remained in strategic offices while a Police patrol vehicle stationed at the entrance to wad off intruders, especially the parallel Exco from straying into the expansive compound.
Akpan had recently 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 by the PDP headquarters.
“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 claimed.
