Akwa Ibom governor Umo Eno has blasted his opponents, accusing them of being PDP members who were impersonating members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to sabotage his 2027 reelection campaign.
He claims that the majority of people who joined him in defecting to the APC are traitors. He said he will deal with it when the time was appropriate.
Recalling that previous governors had experienced the same political scheming by troublemakers, he asked, “You fight structure, fight structure, what are you going to do with my structure?” but issued a warning that he would not put up with such antics from his purported supporters.
Despite his prior statement that “I don’t have power like Wike,” In order to fight for structure, the seemingly irritated governor said that he would personally test the allegiance of his appointees by identifying, via their membership cards in various wards, the genuine loyalists who actually defected with him to the APC.
At a special interdenominational Thanksgiving ceremony commemorating the 38th anniversary of the State’s founding, which took place over the weekend at the International Christian Worship Centre (ICWC), located on Udoudoma Avenue in Uyo, the State capital, the governor expressed his thoughts.
He cautioned that he would not tolerate any resistance to his ambition for a second term and urged those he characterized as his political critics to change their ways.
“The majority of you (the appointees) attend the APC meeting during the day and the PDP meeting at night,” he revealed, adding that he has sent monitoring tentacles throughout the state to identify those who are engaging in double dealing as we move closer to 2027.
Eno swore to oppose such attempts and promised to personally attend such nighttime gatherings in order to expose individuals engaging in parallel politics. He went on to say that he was working to create a United State of Akwa Ibom, but he questioned why lefties still used split tones.
He consequently exhorted the populace to forgive one another and refrain from needless hostility that could endanger the state’s peace and unity.
“Let’s move forward together, forgive one another, and unite in love. Let’s organize and strive for our state’s overall well-being. That’s what I really want. It makes me happy to see people of all political parties come together in this way. Every patriotic citizen ought to have some sense of patriotism and be interested in the state. That, I believe, is the purpose of this togetherness.
“Let’s transcend ethnicity. This is an urgent plea to rise above ingrained prejudice, ethnicity, and parochialism. Other than this state, you won’t have any others. There is just one Akwa Ibom that is united. Nothing will separate us now that I have taken control of the United States of Akwa Ibom,” Eno emphasized.
He emphasized the importance of each leader’s prior achievements and pledged to work with them going forward while honoring their legacies and demonstrating gratitude for their efforts.
The governor thanked previous leaders and stakeholders for attending the event and praised the strong feeling of togetherness, maturity, and understanding displayed by the leadership of the state’s major political parties.
Governor Eno reminded the populace of the ongoing INEC voter registration drive and urged them to register in preparation for the elections “when the time comes.” He also commended them for their enduring faith in the state’s ability to make a bigger difference.
