Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State on Thursday night met with President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa for the first time since defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Although no official statement was issued about the closed-door meeting, our correspondent gathered that the Akwa Ibom State Governor was joined by the President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio, and other key stakeholders of the state. The meeting is largely seen as a formal seal on Governor Eno’s political realignment to the APC as he positions himself ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Governor Eno officially announced his defection to the APC on June 6, 2025, at an event in Government House, Uyo, attended by governors of Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Ebonyi, Imo, Ondo, and Cross River states.
“Earlier this morning, I submitted my letter of resignation from the PDP to the ward chairperson. The same copy has been sent to the state and national chairpersons of the party.
“Having completed the rounds of my consultations as your servant that you elected to serve you, I have, therefore, decided to progressively move to the APC,” the Governor said amidst applause.
The decision of the Akwa Ibom State Governor came despite strong pushback from within his party and loyalists, signalling a bold move of realignments.
NewsQuest reports that the development has further worsened the woes of the main opposition PDP, with Governor Eno’s defection being the second in the past three months.
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevweri, was the first PDP governor to join the ruling party with his entire cabinet and former Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Indications are that Governor Eno during the Thursday night meeting also discussed federal support for key projects in Akwa Ibom, such as the Calabar-Itu Road, Ibom Deep Seaport, export licenses, a free trade zone for Calabar Airport, and expansion of Ibom Air operations.
A presidency source who prefers anonymity told NewsQuest that the visit has paved the way for an expected visit by President Tinubu to Uyo any time soon to officially welcome Governor Eno into the APC at a mega rally.
