Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has delivered a clear message to members of his administration, urging all commissioners and political aides to either join him in his move to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or resign from their posts.
In a video aired by Channels TV on Friday, Governor Eno made the statement during a State Executive Council meeting held on Thursday. He confirmed that he would soon be switching political allegiance from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC and told his appointees that loyalty to him meant aligning with this new political path.
“It’s no more news that I’m moving party. If you don’t know that by now, I don’t know what else you know,” Eno said firmly.
The governor noted that he would not force anyone to join him but made it clear that those who choose to stay behind must also be ready to give up their appointments. “I am told that some of you are saying that you will not come, you are free, absolutely free, not to join me, but you won’t be in my state executive council,” he stated.
According to Eno, his decision is based on growing internal challenges within the PDP, especially issues that could affect the integrity of the election process. He expressed his loss of confidence in the party’s leadership at the national level and its ability to conduct a fair and technically sound electoral process.
“I love the PDP, I want to stay in the PDP, but clearly, I don’t have a road map to guarantee that I’ll be able to have a smooth sail in the elections,” Eno explained.
He added that the hard work of his administration has made them popular with the people, and he believes they would win elections regardless of political party. “Even if we contest on a zero party, we will win this election. There’s no doubt about it,” he added.
