Akwa Ibom governor: I’m leaving PDP

Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has formally announced his readiness to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Eno hinged his decision on the crisis rocking the PDP.

The governor made this known at the state executive council meeting on Thursday, May 22, 2025.

“It is no longer news that I’m leaving the party,” Eno declared.

The governor, who stated that the PDP leadership crisis at the national level can lead to election defeat on “technical grounds”, directed all his commissioners and appointees to either defect with him to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or resign from their positions.

He said: “I am told that some of you are saying that you will not come, you are free, absolutely free not to join me, but you won’t be in my state executive council

“So, you better just be prepared to resign the day I announce that I’m moving because you are an appointee and your loyalty is fully to me.

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“You can’t be in my cabinet and play anti-party; it is not possible, it’s not a threat, it is what it is. I won’t beg you to come, you should normally not even expect it.”

The governor further stated that although he loves the PDP, he cannot guarantee a seamless victory in the party ahead of the 2027 general election.

Eno added: “I love the PDP; I want to stay in the PDP, but clearly, I don’t have a roadmap to guarantee that I’ll be able to have a smooth sail in the elections — not because we won’t win elections.

“In this state today, with the work that all of us have done, even if we contest on a zero party, we will win this election. There’s no doubt about it. We’ve worked very hard, but we know that at the national level, our party is not coming together.

“Every day, secretary this and that — and so you take your form, they send it to INEC, and then you run all the elections, you perhaps win the elections.

“On technical grounds, because the wrong person signed your form, you lose everything.”

The Star