Etim EtimThere’s been a flurry of articles in recent times warning Governor Umo Eno of certain elements who recently moved into the APC with him, but have displayed signs of disloyalty to the governor and his new party. The writers painstakingly cautioned that these people might be secretly working to sabotage his reelection in 2027.
In a well-written piece posted last night and signed by Camillus Ukoette of Mbiasong Ward 5 in Nsit Ibom LGA, the writer cited a case of a commissioner in the governor’s cabinet, who attended a defection event in his community, received the party flag and other paraphernalia, but sneaked out without signing the party register. He warned that such people are up to no good.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe governor had made it clear that all his appointees must join APC with him or resign their appointments, and a good number of them had complied with it. But these whistleblowers are alarmed that some of the appointees are playing cloak-and-dagger games. Destiny Young, a well-known IT specialist who is a founding member of the party, recently wrote about some government appointees who are in the habit of denigrating the party in their social media posts. He wrote: “How can you explain a situation where some aides to some elected officials and aides to some of the governor’s appointees will come on social media to denigrate the governor and the president, including making derogatory remarks about the president?’’.
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Do these indicate that some people in the party might be (or would be) stealthily working to undermine the governor in his new party in 2027? Perhaps. But there’s no cause for alarm, and from all indications, the overwhelming majority of APC members are in full support of the governor and they will work for his overwhelming reelection. I acknowledge that there will always be intrigues and plots in a large political party, especially one formed through mergers. There’s no doubt that many in the PDP are not comfortable with the governor’s decision. It’s, therefore, possible that some aides and assistants whose principals have lost their perceived privileged positions might be presenting some form of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. But they are in the minority, and even then, there are plans to checkmate such tendencies.
I understand that the governor will be meeting with all organs of the party in the state in the coming weeks. This would be followed by a stakeholders’ meeting of the party in which leaders and elders from every nook and cranny of the state will come together in a formal process of harmonization. Later in the year, there would be a renewal of the party’s register that would call for the registration of new members and the re-registration of old members. Every member would be expected to get back to his or her polling unit to register. “In every step of the way during these processes, saboteurs and pretenders would be identified and weeded out,” a senior party official told me last night.
READ ALSO: Umo Eno, ADA And The Politics Of 2027
But beyond this, Gov. Eno has brought an unbelievably high energy into the party and reawakened a large number of members, including me, who had lost interest in it. “Now, we have a governor’’ is a popular refrain among many of us who had become dormant, staid, and dejected. Such a high level of enthusiasm is enough to counter any negative feelings in some of us. In addition, the governor’s personal appeal and high job approval ratings will also count for him when it’s time to hit the hustings.
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But even with all the subterfuge that may occur, my conviction is that given the renewed strength of APC in the state; the caliber of its leaders; the collective strength of its members (both new and old); and the incumbency factor, President Tinubu; Senator Akpabio and Governor Eno will return not less than 60% of the votes in Akwa Ibom in the next election. The opposition (whether ADA, ADC or PDP) in the state has become weaker and will face several hurdles, the most potent of which is the lack of funding. Who will be the opposition governorship candidates in Akwa Ibom State and what is the level of their financial capacity? Senator John James Akpanudoedehe is so far the leader of the ADC coalition in the state, but who will lead the PDP? Will the people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District who are eagerly waiting to produce Eno’s successor in 2031, support a new candidate or they will stick with the incumbent to finish his term?
I have been closely involved in the opposition governorship campaigns of 2015, 2019 and 2023, and from my experience, I know how difficult it is for the opposition to muster the needed resources to launch a successful electoral assault and unseat an incumbent governor in the state. Make no mistake, in Akwa Ibom elections, money talks at every level – from the day you declare interest to run to Election Day. As soon as you declare an intention to run, your supporters (and even pretenders) will bombard you every day with requests for financial support to meet personal needs. Show me one person in the PDP or the coalition who can sustain such an endeavour now.
As I said, I am not perturbed by any sign of artifice that may be. Governor Eno has made the right decision and the Akwa Ibom people are all with him.
Etim Etim
ETIM ETIM is a journalist, banker and author. He has been a member of the Editorial Board of The Guardian, a Regional Manager in Access Bank and is currently a Columnist in Prime Business Africa, The Cable and Businessday newspapers.
He is also the Chief Executive of Stein Meyer Communications, a major media consultancy and the author of the best-selling book, "Akwa Ibom Heroes: Inside Story of the Fight for Abrogation of Onshore-Offshore Oil Dichotomy" and co-author of another book, "Osinbajo Strides: Defining Moments of an Innovative Leader".
