Etim Etim on this piece wonders if the acts and utterances of the supporters and aides of Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom and his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, is not going to convey a wedge between the 2 political gladiators forward of the 2027 normal elections within the state.
The go to of former Governor Udom Emmanuel to Akwa Ibom State final Wednesday has triggered spirited discussions in some quarters, notably as a result of some appointees of Governor Umo Eno went to the airport to obtain the previous governor. Eno defected from the Individuals’s Democratic Get together to the All Progressives Congress in June, 2025, however his predecessor has remained within the PDP. Since then, there have been speculations in regards to the relationship between the 2 males, with many claiming that each one shouldn’t be effectively between them. So, when Udom Emmanuel arrived Uyo in a chartered flight and was met on the airport by the Deputy Speaker of the Home of Meeting, Hon. Kufre Edidem; a few of the governor’s appointees (all of whom had defected with the governor), and a crowd of PDP supporters singing and waving their occasion’s flags, many APC members had been astounded, with many elevating questions, speculations, innuendoes and rumours since Wednesday.
When he arrived his nation dwelling in Onna native authorities space, some 40 minutes drive from the airport, the previous governor met a bigger crowd of supporters singing, dancing and drumming. However he advised them that he was not within the state for politics; and that he got here for the funeral of his cousin; and to that extent he wouldn’t make any political assertion.
It must be burdened that lengthy earlier than Eno defected to APC, his appointees had been within the behavior of going to the airport to obtain the previous governor at any time when he visited the state. However now, some APC members are in opposition to that, although the governor has no qualms with it.
On Thursday, a Media Assistant to Senator Akpabio forwarded {a photograph} of the Particular Assistant to the Governor on Analysis and Documentation, Essien Ndueso, posing with the previous governor on the airport to me and wrote: ‘’Essien Ndueso, daring Governor Eno?’’. I responded instantly: ‘’He’s not daring the governor. We’re not within the period of political variations being the reason for enmity. In spite of everything, the PDP State Chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan, and lots of different PDP members had been within the nation dwelling of the Senate President the opposite day to attend a gathering. Did anyone increase alarm?’’. The matter ended.
However on Saturday morning, one other media assistant to the Senate President, Anietie Ekong, posted a prolonged article on Fb, warning that Governor Eno’s employees who had been on the airport to obtain the previous governor is perhaps taking part in a cloak and dagger political recreation. He wrote: ‘’What I discovered most annoying and regarding are the appointees of Governor Umo Eno who trooped out to welcome their former boss and rubbed it on our faces the place their allegiance and loyalty stand. They stumbled over themselves to take selfies with the previous governor and with out qualms, splashed (the pictures) in our faces within the social media; their our bodies could also be with Governor Eno, however their hearts are with Mr Udom Emmanuel’’.
He continued: ‘’Reality is a few of the governor’s current set of appointees might have claimed to observe the governor to APC, however their hearts should not with him. They’re disgruntled. A few of them are simply hanging in there ready for the correct time to strike. If you wish to know them, return and try those that sang together with PDP supporters within the title of going to obtain former Governor Udom Emmanuel’’.
These are very weighty allegations, and coming from a senior official of the Senate President’s, I took greater than a passing curiosity in them. For one, the author shouldn’t be recognized to be flippant and the truth that two of the Senate President’s staffers are main the controversy, makes it all of the extra intriguing.
I responded by stating that the presence of the governor’s aides on the airport doesn’t essentially quantity to disloyalty to the governor, for my part. Moderately, it’s in consonance with Eno’s model of politics which he phrases ‘’Akwa Ibom United’’. This implies our political variations mustn’t make us enemies. Â
However is it doable for a senior authorities official to have gone to the airport to obtain the previous governor with out the governor’s approval? I reached out to the governor and a protracted change ensued. Excerpts:
Me: Good day Sir. Your predecessor arrived Uyo the opposite day, and a few of your officers went to the airport to obtain him. However some APC members appear uncomfortable with that. They assume that your officers are disloyal. In reality, I’ve simply learn an article written by…
Gov: I’ve additionally learn the piece, however I don’t like this tradition of individuals all the time vilifying people who find themselves not on our aspect.
Me: Our individuals are used to that, Sir. That’s the politics we performed in Akwa Ibom State earlier than you got here on to the scene. It’s going to take time to alter…However what’s your relationship together with your predecessor?
Gov: I can’t combat my boss (referring to the previous governor) or any chief. (Once more, this has been the governor’s chorus in all his public communications. He’s additionally requested Akwa Ibom individuals to eschew throwing insults at elders).
Me: However Sir, is your boss pleased with you…I imply is he okay that you just had moved to APC?
Gov: We’re in good phrases
Me: Are you okay that a few of your appointees had been on the airport to obtain the previous governor on Wednesday?
Gov: ‘’We’re working Akwa Ibom United (That is his favorite political punchline). We respect our leaders throughout occasion strains; however that doesn’t change the truth that I’m in APC now to help President Bola Tinubu and the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio. Going to the airport to greet our leaders overtly shouldn’t be an issue; however the issue is those that accomplish that secretly with ulterior motives. Let me be clear: Akwa Ibom State is now APC, and by the grace of God, nothing will change that. Meekness doesn’t imply weak point; our individuals know the reality that we’re serving them wholeheartedly.
The data converse for itself. For me, these to be careful for should not those that pay respect to our leaders within the open. It’s those that sneak surreptitiously to inform lies and plant evil seeds and but come to smile with you. And this occurs throughout board, no matter occasion affiliations. They name it politics, however it’s deceit of the best order, and should not be given an opportunity to thrive in our polity. That is what destroys friendships and relationships.
Me: Thanks sir.
However there are just a few points which might be very regarding to each APC and PDP members so far as the previous governor is anxious. First, his reluctance to make a categorical assertion on his relationship along with his successor is on the root of all of the speculations and insinuations within the state. The governor has persistently acknowledged that he had consulted his predecessor earlier than he left PDP; and that he nonetheless holds him in excessive esteem. However the former governor’s reticence has left room for conjectures and innuendoes about his politics.
The place does Udom Emmanuel stand on the re-election of President Tinubu? Is he nonetheless in help of the president’s re-election as he pledged within the Villa when he, the governor and the Senate President met with the President late February? I recall that the governor and the Senate President had led a big delegation of Akwa Ibom individuals to go to President Tinubu in Abuja in February.
Earlier than the assembly commenced, Senator Akpabio; Governor Eno and Udom Emmanuel had met privately with the President for about two hours contained in the President’s workplace. It was in there that Udom Emmanuel pledged to help the President for his re-election.
Is the previous governor nonetheless maintaining to his phrases to help the President or has he reneged?
On arrival final week, Udom Emmanuel introduced that he was not on the town for politics. However that isn’t very right. Politics was excessive on his agenda. That evening, he requested the PDP State Deputy Chairman, Harrison Ekpo, who’s his kinsman, to convene a gathering of the 31 Chapter chairmen of the occasion for 2pm the next day at his nation dwelling. However a counter discover quickly emerged when the State Chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan, obtained wind of the assembly.
The Chairman was miffed that the previous governor didn’t inform him of the assembly, though he was with the previous governor earlier within the day. The counter notification famous that it’s only the Chairman who may situation discover of assembly. PDP Exco members at the moment are questioning why the previous governor determined to sidestep the State Chairman who’s from Akpabio’s senatorial district, and dealing with the deputy chairman, who’s his kinsman from his LGA.
My sense is that Governor Eno doesn’t have any political issues along with his predecessor, and he’s not about to start out a combat with him simply because they’re not in the identical occasion. The governor is snug along with his individuals going to welcome his predecessor on the airport. I imagine that they’d sought and obtained his approval earlier than they went to the airport. In spite of everything, even earlier than he defected to APC, the governor was all the time vising the Senate President, and in not less than one event that I can keep in mind, he even went to the airport to additionally obtain the Senate President.
Some individuals’s obsession with the airport occasion arises from their incapability to completely perceive Umo Eno’s type of politics which has no room for violence, hatred, division, enmity, seclusion and exclusion. These had been the primary nutritional vitamins of politics within the state in previous. That Umo Eno has not picked a combat along with his predecessor can also be tough for them to know. Such fights had been frequent up to now. Governor Godswill Akpabio fought his predecessor, Obong Victor Attah, to a standstill as quickly as he took over from Attah. In reality, it was so dangerous that Attah was barred from utilizing the state-owned lodge for his birthday celebrations in 2008. After Akpabio, Udom Emmanuel got here and instantly began a giant combat with Akpabio. The combat was so bitter that Akpabio was actually chased out of the Presidential Lodge, close to Authorities Home, the place he was staying at any time when he was in Uyo. There have been reviews that trunks of {dollars} had been carted away from the visitor home. The enmity worsened after Akpabio defected from the PDP to APC in August 2018. The state was divided into two camps, and buddies turned enemies. Until as we speak, there is no such thing as a love misplaced between Udom Emmanuel and Godswill Akpabio.
Since it’s a custom within the state for governors to quarrel with their predecessors, it’s a pure intuition for some individuals to anticipate Umo Eno to start out a combat with Udom Emmanuel simply to proceed the jinx. However Eno’s model of politics is refreshingly disarming and I name on our individuals to present him some credit score.
-Etim writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom state
