Defection Drama: “It’s Time to Move!” – Governor Eno Declares at Town Hall, Crowd Roars Back “No!”

Tension rippled through Ikot Abasi on Wednesday as Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, announced his intention to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during a town hall meeting. His declaration was met with a loud and overwhelming rejection from the gathered constituents.

Addressing residents of the Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency at the Local Government Grounds, Governor Eno said he had completed wide consultations and concluded it was time to align the state with the ruling party at the federal level. “We’re progressively moving forward, linking Akwa Ibom to the center. And I know you’re going with us,” he said, before asking, “Are you going with us, so we can connect to the center?”

Instead of the show of support he seemed to expect, the crowd responded with a resounding “No!” that drowned out a few scattered voices of agreement, creating an atmosphere of palpable resistance.

Undeterred by the response, the governor pressed on, arguing that Akwa Ibom needed to be strategically positioned to benefit from national politics. He urged unity and called for trust in the leadership of President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, stating, “We thank you for your support. I’ve gone round to consult… The time has come that we will move. And we will go to where God is leading us.”

He warned against internal divisions, saying, “We are already a minority state in Nigeria. If we come again and start breaking ourselves into pieces, we become minority of the minorities and cannot get anything.” He stressed that the future lay in cooperation and called for support ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that Tinubu, Akpabio, and himself must return to office.