Rift Between Eno and Emmanuel Escalates as Police Withdraw from Former Governor’s Homes

Police operatives attached to the residences of former Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel have been withdrawn amid an escalating rift between him and his successor, Governor Umo Eno. The development comes as political tensions deepen in the state following Governor Eno’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in June, ending the PDP’s 25-year dominance in Akwa Ibom.

An internal police directive dated September 30 and signed by Ekwo Godwin, an assistant superintendent of police, ordered all operatives attached to Mr Emmanuel’s residences to withdraw from their posts by October 1 and report to the state police headquarters in Uyo for debriefing. The order, marked as “Order 472,” was also said to affect former state officials who declined to join the APC.

When reporters visited Mr Emmanuel’s residences at Awa Iman in Onna Local Government Area and Ewet Housing Estate in Uyo on Thursday and Friday, no police personnel were seen at either location. However, the Akwa Ibom Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, denied that any withdrawal had taken place. The Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, also said he was unaware of the order, insisting it could not have originated from the state government. Efforts to reach Mr Emmanuel for comment were unsuccessful.

Traditionally, the state government requests a number of police operatives from security authorities, who are then assigned to serving and former officials through the Chief Security Officer at the Government House, with the governor’s approval.

The souring relationship between Mr Eno and his predecessor, once described as his “political godfather,” has been quietly festering since the governor’s defection but has now spilled into public view. Mr Emmanuel is reportedly working behind the scenes to regain control of the PDP structure in the state, while Mr Eno insists he will retain influence over both major parties to prevent rivals from exploiting divisions.

In a leaked video from May, Mr Eno defended his decision to maintain control of the PDP structure, saying it was to prevent outsiders from hijacking the party. His remarks sparked controversy and led to the eviction of journalists from Channels Television from the Government House.

Last week, the PDP’s National Working Committee dissolved the party’s state executive council and installed a caretaker committee, a move widely interpreted as an attempt to curb the governor’s influence. In response, Ndianaabasi Udom, an aide to Mr Eno, resigned from the Akwa Ibom Rural Access Roads Agency to join the new caretaker committee, a decision that reportedly unsettled the APC-led administration.

Soon after, Governor Eno dissolved all statutory and non-statutory boards and commissions in the state, prompting an outpouring of loyalty pledges from aides and political allies on social media. Addressing supporters at the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo on Friday, the governor declared Akwa Ibom an APC state, urging residents to embrace the ruling party and “wear the badge of honour proudly.”