Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, publicly affirmed his commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday by leading the chorus of the popular “On your mandate we shall stand” slogan.
The gesture came during a grand reception held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo to celebrate his formal defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
President Tinubu, represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima, welcomed Governor Eno into the APC fold, assuring him that his decision to switch parties would prove fruitful both for him and for the people of Akwa Ibom State. Tinubu, through Shettima, emphasized that the party values unity and inclusion over division, urging Eno to see the APC as his new political home.
“We move forward not by clinging to what divides us, but by running around what unites us,” Shettima said on behalf of the President. “Your decision to come to the APC is one you will never regret. No one will question your place here. The party is your home. You will not be humiliated, will not be frustrated.”
The event also saw the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, hail the governor’s move as a bold transition from what he termed “national isolation” under the PDP to active participation in national integration through the APC. Ganduje noted that Eno’s defection simplifies the process of channeling federal attention and resources to Akwa Ibom and the South South region.
Praising Eno’s performance in office thus far, Ganduje attributed his achievements to a functional and harmonious relationship with his predecessor, Emmanuel Udom, suggesting that the governor’s pragmatic governance style would benefit the APC and the state at large.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio added a strategic dimension to the governor’s decision, describing it not as a mere defection but “a movement.” He predicted that other South South states, including Rivers and Bayelsa, would soon follow Eno’s example, eventually resulting in a regional political alignment with Tinubu by the 2027 elections.
In his address to the crowd, Governor Eno acknowledged the magnitude of the step he and others who followed him had taken. He admitted it was a political risk, but one calculated to secure long-overdue federal support for key state initiatives, including the Ibom Deepsea Port.
“We have taken risk by moving to the center to get federal attention for execution of lingering Ibom Deepsea Port and other federal interventions,” Eno said.
The ceremony drew an impressive gathering of political dignitaries, including the governors of Delta, Lagos, Cross River, Imo, Ebonyi, Kogi, Kebbi, Ekiti, Ondo, Edo, Kwara, and Gombe, all of whom came to witness and endorse the significant political shift.
What you should know
Governor Umo Eno has officially joined the APC, declaring his support for President Tinubu at a major rally in Uyo.
The move signals Akwa Ibom’s political alignment with the federal government and may attract key federal projects like the Ibom Deepsea Port. President Tinubu, through Vice President Shettima, welcomed Eno and assured him of full integration within the APC.
