Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno Announces Intent to Leave PDP

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has declared his intention to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing internal party crises and his open support for President Bola Tinubu as key reasons for his planned defection.

In a now-viral video addressing a congregation, Governor Eno said he no longer sees a clear path within the PDP to secure his political future, especially amid ongoing legal uncertainties and party disunity.

“It’s no more news that I’m leaving the party. If you don’t know that by now, then I don’t know what else you know,” Eno stated. “As a PDP person, I love the PDP and want to stay, but clearly I don’t have a road map that guarantees a smooth sail in the elections.”

He lamented the national leadership crisis within the PDP, warning that a procedural misstep, such as a wrongly signed nomination form, could jeopardize election victories. “You win and lose everything because the wrong person signed your forms. I’m not going to be stupid to stay doing that,” he said.

Governor Eno also attributed his planned exit to his inability to engage in internal party battles like the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. “I don’t have the kind of strength Wike has who will confront anybody. I’m a very simple man by nature,” he noted.

The governor has consistently praised President Tinubu’s performance, despite being a member of the opposition. He argued that his continued support for Tinubu while remaining in the PDP would amount to anti-party activity.

“I don’t know how to mince words. I can’t be in the PDP today and support a president of another party—it clearly violates party guidelines. If I’m supporting the president, let me go to where I can openly say what he has done,” he declared.

Eno also criticized the ideological void in Nigeria’s political parties, stating that no party, including the PDP, offers distinct policy frameworks. “No party in this country has clear ideological differences. The only agenda we run in our state is the Arise Agenda,” he added.

His announcement comes amid mounting tensions within the PDP, raising concerns about potential realignments in Akwa Ibom and beyond ahead of future elections.