In a major political realignment in Akwa Ibom State, seven members of the House of Representatives have dumped their opposition political parties to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), barely weeks after Governor Umo Eno defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
The defectors include six former PDP lawmakers, Unyime Idem, Martins Esin, Paul Ekpo, Uduak Odudoh, Okpolu Etteh, and Bassey Okon as well as Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, who left the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
The wave of defections is believed to be closely linked to Governor Eno’s recent switch to the APC in June 2025, signalling a significant power shift in the state’s political landscape.
“Having completed the rounds of my consultations as your servant, I have therefore decided to progressively move to the All Progressives Congress (APC),” Governor Eno had announced during a statewide broadcast.
“We are not joining the APC from a position of weakness; we are joining the APC from a position of strength,” he added, underscoring his commitment to aligning with the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu.
The governor, who had earlier instructed his commissioners and appointees to either join him in the APC or resign their appointments, has consistently framed his defection as a strategic move to support national development.
Eno’s defection also followed a similar move by Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, who exited the PDP for the APC earlier this year, pointing to a broader shift among South-South political heavyweights.
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