Akwa Ibom Shifts Power: Governor Eno and All 26 Assembly Members Join APC

Uyo, Akwa Ibom State – In a seismic political development for Akwa Ibom State, Governor Umo Bassey Eno, alongside all 26 members of the State House of Assembly, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The mass defection, confirmed today, Friday, June 6, 2025, marks a significant power shift and is expected to have far-reaching implications for the state’s political landscape.

Sources close to the government confirmed that the governor, who had for weeks hinted at his intention to align with the national ruling party, formally made the move today. This comes after widespread speculation and reports of Governor Eno instructing his commissioners and political appointees to either defect to the APC with him or resign their positions. While elected officials like House of Assembly members were exempted from this ultimatum, their collective defection alongside the governor signals a unified front.

The defection has been met with mixed reactions, with some stakeholders within the PDP expressing disappointment and others within the APC hailing it as a strategic move to connect Akwa Ibom to the “center” of national politics. The APC leadership in the state and beyond has expressed excitement, with some chieftains noting that the move will foster greater collaboration between the state and the federal government, particularly with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, an indigene of Akwa Ibom, being a key figure in the APC.

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This mass decamping effectively ends the PDP’s long-standing dominance in Akwa Ibom State since the return of democracy in 1999. Political analysts believe this realignment will significantly impact the dynamics of the 2027 general elections and could potentially weaken the opposition’s capacity at the national level.
While the event was planned to be a grand affair, it was reportedly scaled down to a low-key ceremony due to the Muslim Sallah holiday. Security around the Government House in Uyo was visibly tightened, with a massive deployment of security operatives, including the DSS and police.

The governor is expected to address a select group of journalists later today, where he is likely to elaborate on the reasons behind this monumental political decision. The full political ramifications of this unprecedented defection are yet to unfold, but it undeniably marks a new chapter in Akwa Ibom’s political history.