Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has officially announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing the need to align the state with the federal government to boost development.

During a speech titled “Progressives Movement from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC)”, Eno explained his decision was motivated by a desire to bring more Federal Government presence to Akwa Ibom.

He acknowledged his admiration for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, referencing Tinubu’s governance style as Lagos State governor:

“I had never hidden my admiration for President Bola Tinubu and his patriotic devotion to national renewal which he is engendering today.”

Reflecting on his time as a young professional in Lagos, Eno said:

“I was amazed and fascinated by the manner President Tinubu ran Lagos, with focus and vision.”

He praised Tinubu for transforming Lagos into a leading subnational entity in Nigeria despite immense challenges.

Governor Eno also touched on his broader political philosophy, emphasizing that political affiliation should not hinder effective governance:

“Political parties are vehicles to run for elections. Governance, in my considered opinion, should be done without rigid attachment to political labels, since political parties are not defined by ideology but by enlightened set of interests.”

He argued that Akwa Ibom’s stability and security must be maintained through peace and cooperation, avoiding divisive politics:

“Akwa Ibom State is nationally considered as one of the safest and peaceful states in the nation, hence an urgent need to sustain and deepen the important catalyst for growth, by not engaging in unnecessary political bickering.”

Eno reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive and bipartisan governance, vowing to lead without partisan divides:

“I pledge to run a bipartisan and inclusive governance. I promise to be a model of how to work together, pray together, aspire together, dream together and achieve together without the polarising impulses of partisan politics.”

Confirming his defection, he said:

“I submitted my formal Letter of Resignation from the PDP to my Ward Chairman, same copy was sent to both the State Chairman as well as the National Chairman. I have therefore, decided to Progressively move to the All Progressive Congress, the (APC).”

“Standing before you today, I make bold to state categorically that, though I have, by today’s event, changed my political affiliation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All-Progressives Congress (APC), my values, my moral fibre, the foundational principles I have nourished and lived by remain unchanged and sacrosanct.”

The governor lauded President Tinubu for his tough but transformative economic decisions:

“President Tinubu has possibly, in recent history of this nation, faced the most daunting economic challenges of any leader.”

“With boldness and deep convictions, he has stared these challenging moments head-on and came up with solutions that, though in the immediate aftermath is tough for Nigerians, are beginning to bear long-lasting and sustainable effects.”

He cited the removal of petrol subsidy as a particularly bold move, noting its benefits:

“The removal of petrol subsidy, though a hard decision, has brought more funds to subnational entities to pursue audacious projects that are positively affecting the lives of their people.”

According to the governor, the impact is already visible across Akwa Ibom:

“Akwa Ibom State today is more of a construction site with many life-touching projects across the 31 Local Government Areas.”

“The economic fog is becoming clearer, the confidence in our economy is growing and we need to support him to finish this huge task of national re-awakening and economic renewal.”

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has proposed a constitutional amendment to allow a single term of five or six years for elected office holders across all levels in Nigeria, replacing the current two-term system of four years each.

Governor Makinde made this suggestion on Friday at his Ikolaba residence in Ibadan, where he received a delegation of Muslim clerics, traditional leaders, and political figures shortly after attending Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the Agodi Eid Ground.

The visiting delegation, led by Deputy Governor Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, included notable figures such as the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Rashidi Ladoja; PDP Deputy National Chairman, Amb. Taofeek Arapaja; former deputy governors Barr. Hazeem Gbolarumi and Engr. Hamid Gbadamosi; Hon. Abass Adigun Agboworin, and the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, Alhaji Dawodu Makanjuola.

Governor Makinde congratulated the Muslim community for witnessing the 2025 Eid-el-Kabir celebration, expressing gratitude for their prayers, steadfastness, and unwavering support for his administration over the last six years.

Addressing the gathering, he advocated for a systemic change that would reduce distractions in governance and allow elected leaders to focus on delivering their mandates.

“First, let me use this opportunity to say Barka Da Sallah to our Muslim faithful and we shall have the opportunity to celebrate many more by the grace of God,” he began.

Reflecting on his tenure, Makinde noted the challenges that reduced the effective years of governance in his eight-year stretch.

“I was just looking at the trajectory for me in government. I have spent six years already and due to no fault of anybody, we lost the year 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

“We lost almost one year, campaigning all over the place for the second tenure. Now, people have started distracting us on what I want to do next and all of that. So, I feel that, effectively, the time we can say we are very serious with governance is just about five out of the eight years.”

Makinde emphasized that a more efficient system would allow elected officials to concentrate on governance without political distractions.

“That is why I feel if you remove all these distractions, a single tenure of five or six years is actually enough to focus and do the work that we are trying to do in eight years.”

“Well, we shouldn’t be afraid to say the fact based on data that is available to us. It has nothing to do with me. If they say I should end it, so be it.”

He called on Nigerians and lawmakers to give the proposal serious consideration:

“So, I am just calling the attention of our people to this because it is a constitutional issue. We should start looking at it.”

“I know that it has been brought to the attention of the National Assembly but, quite frankly, it is a model that should work for this country.”

Delivering a goodwill message from the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, Senator Rashidi Ladoja urged residents to continue supporting the current administration.

He also offered prayers for continued success and progress under Makinde’s leadership.

After the Eid prayers, Deputy Governor Lawal addressed journalists, encouraging Muslims to uphold the virtues of obedience, trust, and self-sacrifice, which he described as central teachings of the Holy Quran.

“We must always exhibit the valuable lessons of obedience, trust and true sacrifice to the will of God, which are the doctrines and lessons taught by the Holy Quran,” he said.

He also praised Governor Makinde’s leadership, particularly in the area of workers’ welfare:

“We thank the Governor for his commitment to the welfare of workers and the people of Oyo State through prompt payment of salaries.”

Lawal concluded by calling for greater cooperation from residents to ensure continued delivery of the dividends of democracy.

The Commissioner for Special Duties and Ibom Deep Seaport, Mr. Ini Ememobong, has officially resigned from the cabinet of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, following the governor’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Governor Eno, who recently announced his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), gave a clear directive to members of his administration: anyone unwilling to join him in the APC should step aside.

During a State Executive Council meeting, the governor addressed his cabinet, saying:

“It’s no more news that I’m moving; if you don’t know that by now, I don’t know what else you know.”

“So, we want our commissioners and members of Excos, appointees; 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.”

He added:

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

Following the governor’s formal defection on Friday, Mr. Ememobong made his resignation public in a statement posted on Facebook.

“Today, I have tendered my resignation to the Governor in compliance with his directive that his appointees who are unwilling to join him on the political journey to the APC should resign.”

He went on to explain his reasons for not following the governor into the APC:

“While I cannot question or fault the Governor’s personal decision, I am unable to join in that sojourn. My decision is borne out of my belief in politics with principles and my long-standing opposition to that political platform, which is daily validated by numerous Nigerians across many sectors.”

Despite stepping down, Ememobong expressed gratitude to the governor for the trust placed in him during his tenure:

“This decision does not affect my personal relationship with the Governor, who calls me his brother and reposed great confidence in me by saddling me with two very important ministries (Information and Special Duties & Ibom Deep Sea Port). I have and will continue to have tremendous respect for HE Governor Umo Eno, even out of EXCO.”

At a defection event in Uyo, Governor Eno addressed his supporters, emphasizing that his switch to the APC came from a “place of strength.”

“Today, fellow Akwa Ibomites, we are gathered here to witness change, while equally affirming the constancy of our collective values and defining ethos as a state.”

Reflecting on the public discourse that followed the speculation of his defection, he said:

“For some time now, the political space, particularly in this state and the nation in general, have been awash with the news of my likely movement from the PDP, the platform that has provided the levers and ladder of my political ascendancy to the position of governor of this state.”

“This discussion has elicited various layers of analysis in the process. Today, I am here to answer to some of those nagging questions. We should always be open to change, but not to let go of our shared values.”

He confirmed that earlier in the day, he had submitted his resignation to the PDP:

“Earlier this morning, I submitted a formal letter of resignation from the People’s Democratic Party to the ward chairman. The same copy has been sent to both the state chairman, as well as the national chairman.”

The governor also thanked the PDP for its support during his political journey:

“I want to thank the People’s Democratic Party for their support, for their love, and for working with me in these past two years in the affairs of running the state of Akwa Ibom across party lines. But this is a defining moment.”

Explaining the depth of consultation that led to his decision, he said:

“I have therefore decided, after due consultation with all of the critical stakeholders, across the length and breadth of this state in the last three months, I believe that no one has moved progressively or has ever changed party in this state that has consulted as widely as I’ve done.”

“I did that because of the respect I have for all of you as stakeholders in Project Akwa Ibom. I did that knowing that each and every one of you needed to be consulted, to be informed. I needed your counsel. I needed to explain why I am moving.”

He added that his final consultations took place the night before:

“And at this point, that consultation culminated into my meeting with all the critical stakeholders in the PDP last night in this hall where I took time to explain to all of you the reason why we must move.”

Invoking a biblical metaphor, he emphasized adaptability:

“That as the children of Issachar, we must be able to interpret the times and flow with the times, and not run against the tide.”

“Having completed the rounds of my consultation, as your servant that you have elected to serve you, I have therefore decided to progressively move to the All-Progressive Congress.”

Eno assured his supporters that, despite the shift in political alignment, his core principles remain intact:

“That I have, by today’s event, changed my political affiliation. But I will continue to uphold my values, my moral fiber, my foundational principles that I have nourished and cherished all through my life.”

“Those values will remain unchanged. And I will always work with you, regardless of party affiliations.”

“And I’d like to say that, coming from the PDP, I want to make it emphatically clear that we are not joining the APC from the position of weakness.”

With Governor Eno’s move, the APC now controls four out of six states in the South-South, consolidating its dominance in the region, with Rivers and Bayelsa remaining under the PDP.

As the 2027 general elections draw closer, former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Dr. Ben Nwoye, has officially launched a new political platform named ‘The Progressives Group’, aimed at sustaining his political structure and fostering good governance in the state.

The group was formally unveiled during a well-attended event in Nsukka, where its membership was revealed to include politicians from across several registered political parties, among them, the APC, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Labour Party (LP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), among others.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the launch, Nwoye, who recently resigned from the APC, said the new movement was born out of public demand and his commitment to active politics.

“Our goal is to support and promote good governance, particularly in Enugu State,” he stated.

“Since I left the APC, I have been receiving calls not just only from my followers when I was in the party, but from other aggrieved members of various political parties who followed my style of politics and want me to lead them to a new political home.”

Nwoye emphasized that while he had stepped down from the APC, he had not withdrawn from political life.

“And because I have not resigned from active political activity, but only resigned from the APC due to the manner with which the party was being run in Enugu State, I had to listen to those clarion calls, and that is why we are here today to formally launch what we call ‘The Progressives Group.’”

He described the platform as a vehicle for good governance and said it was no coincidence the launch took place in Enugu North Senatorial District.

“We started the movement here in Enugu North Senatorial District primarily because of the progressive nature of Enugu North politics and politicians.”

According to Nwoye, a former Federal Commissioner at the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Enugu North was chosen for its historical role in advancing the APC’s early growth in the state.

“We decided to begin the political journey from Nsukka because it was Enugu North that gave the APC the impetus to operate in the state when the party started,” he explained.

“The zone, as at then, paraded APC chieftains such as Barrister Okey Ezea, now a serving Senator under the Labour Party platform, and the late Senator Ayogu Eze, among others.”

Nwoye maintained that the group is non-partisan in nature but focused on policy and development.

“So, we are only interested in pursuing a progressive agenda. We will support any government that is progressive in nature and benefits our people. A government that will drive the development of Enugu State.”

He disclosed that the group already has structures in place across the six local government areas and 105 political wards in Enugu North, with plans to expand statewide.

“We have the leadership of the Progressives in all the 105 political wards in Enugu North Senatorial District and the six Council areas of the zone, with Dr. Mrs. Oby Ajih, the 2023 APC House of Representatives candidate for Udenu/Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency, and Chief Obodoeze Ocho as conveners, while Hon. Tony Ibekwe is convener for Enugu West Zone.”

Nwoye stressed that the initiative offers a “political home” to individuals who feel alienated by existing party structures.

“With this development, we have given political home to all those that were before now homeless politically across the three political zones of Enugu State.”

“You can see for yourselves the large turnout, even when the invitation was restricted to two persons per political ward.”

Held in Ugwuoye, the University heartland of Nsukka, the gathering drew politicians from various parties and regions. Nwoye described it as a homecoming for politically displaced individuals.

“Our goal is to galvanize our people because the people we organized have been scattered by the oppressive leadership of APC in Enugu State. We don’t want them to go without a political home.”

“Now, they have a political home. With this political home that we have established, we will now move on to Enugu West Senatorial Zone and then to Enugu East Senatorial Zone.”

Due to overwhelming interest, he revealed the venue had to be changed multiple times.

“This meeting was restricted otherwise, here would have been filled with people. We had to practically move the venue twice to avoid gate crashers.”

“Many people have been homeless politically since after my eight years of political journey in APC, so we want to give them home.”

Taking a swipe at the current APC leadership in the state, Nwoye criticized its focus on internal divisions rather than building the party.

“It is quite unfortunate that the new APC Chairman in Enugu State has spent more time suspending and expelling his members, instead of winning new ones into their fold.”

“As I said, what we have done is to practically bring everybody back, everyone who has been disenchanted in APC. Whether you have been expelled, suspended, or whatever, they are welcomed to this group.”

He reiterated that The Progressives Group will not operate as a rival government but as a pressure group that supports development-focused leadership.

“We will not form a parallel government. We are not interested. What we are interested in is pursuing a progressive agenda where we support any government that is progressive in nature, that is benefiting our people, driving the development of Enugu State.”

On which political party the group might align with going forward, Nwoye said:

“For now, we are still studying the political space. At the appropriate time, we will make a public pronouncement on that.”