Yesterday’s formal defection of Governor Umo Eno from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, was about the worst kept secret in the political arena.
However, about the best kept secret at the point of defection was the issue with the governor’s godfather and immediate predecessor, Deacon Udom Emmanuel.
It is understood that Mr Emmanuel was not part of the defection, drawing a parallel with the defection in Delta State of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his immediate predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
As at the time of writing this piece the governor of Akwa Ibom State was yet to give his formal reason for defecting. However, the dispute over the office of National Secretary of the party was largely expected to resonate as the primary reason for the defection. Political actors in the PDP with a view to contesting future elections, say that they cannot allow the risk of putting their ambitions on the platform of a party whose candidates could face disqualification over the legitimacy of the party’s scribe.
In almost every case, purveyors of this argument have sought shelter in the APC. Okowa’s resort to the APC was, however, appalling for many who asked the morality of the running mate in the last presidential election crossing over to join the winning party he seriously buffetted only two and a half years ago.
Whatever, yesterday’s defection of Governor Umo Eno to the APC was even spiced by the additional politics of bitterness between his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel and his penultimate predecessor, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
It is a well-known fact that Akpabio, who recruited Udom as his successor, fell out with him not too long after the latter became governor. The reasons for their quarrel have been severally speculated in the media. However, what is more reported is the claim that Akpabio sought shelter in the APC after real or imagined allegations of malfeasances while he was governor were used to hound him. Even as Minority Leader and leader of the PDP in the Senate it was alleged that he was intimidated into a harmless political entity who could neither bark nor bite.
He eventually stepped down from his position as PDP Senate leader in August 2018 and not long after, he joined the APC. At that point, his ‘sins’ appeared to have been forgiven.
He subsequently vowed to stop the re-election of Udom Emmanuel. Not only did he fail, but his bid to return to the Senate was crushed by his political godson.
Akpabio’s bid in 2023 to stop Udom from producing a successor in the person of Umo Eno also failed but partly to the internal crisis in the Akwa Ibom APC and the strength of the PDP in Akwa Ibom.
However, the bitterness in the relationship between Government House, Uyo and Akpabio changed with the iron-cast determination of Governor Eno not to inherit the bitterness of Udom Emmanuel against Akpabio.
The charm offensive over the past two years has seen the governor give honour to Akpabio in a way that his estranged political son, Udom Emmanuel never gave him. While he was working on Akpabio, Governor Eno also never forsook the cordiality with his political father, Udom.
The policy of giving honour to whom honour is due, irrespective of party affiliations, helped Governor Eno push forward his agenda in the state without the fractures associated with bluff and bluster politicking.
Eno’s defection was understandably provoked by the crisis in the PDP, but moving over to the APC appeared convenient for him given the rapport he has built with Akpabio. Against the grain of parties in the states they control winning all the local government elections, Governor Eno to the chagrin of some local PDP leaders in Akpabio’s Essien Udum local government area, ‘helped’ the APC to win the 2024 council elections there. The gist is that the PDP candidates were generously compensated.
It is apparent that Governor Eno was in a hurry for whatever reason to join Akpabio in APC. What may have delayed him until now was the attempt to convince his ‘father’, Udom Emmanuel to join in the movement. So far, it appears that he was unsuccessful in that endeavour.
Not only Udom. At least one commissioner in his cabinet has resigned based on the development.
Dr. Ini Ememobong stepped down from his position as Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Special Duties and Ibom Deep Sea Port following his claim of an instruction to officials unwilling to join the governor to step down from their positions.
Ememobong’s stance, based on personal conviction, is also understandable. He was a former spokesman of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State who viciously attacked the APC both in Udom’s time and in the era of Umo Eno.
His decision to resign was ruling the raves yesterday, with potential consequences of triggering other PDP zealots to follow suit. Governor Umo Eno’s prayer is that he is able to manage the situation in a way that the ship of state will not upturn.
The greatest beneficiary of the defection is undoubtedly Senator Akpabio, who was pushed away as political god father by Udom Emmanuel. While Umo Eno has not pushed away Udom Emmanuel, and may continue to refer to him as his father and Akpabio as a grand father, the Senate President can only see himself as a father!
Indeed, Akpabio has become a father again!
