Akwa Ibom: PDP Maintains Silence as Pro-Party Group Threatens Legal Action Over Governor Eno’s Defection to APC
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State has remained conspicuously silent following the defection of Governor Umo Eno to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on June 6, 2025 a move that has triggered outrage among party loyalists and raised constitutional and moral questions about political mandates in Nigeria.
Governor Eno, who rose to power under the PDP’s platform a party that has ruled Akwa Ibom uninterrupted for 25 years shocked the political establishment by announcing his switch to the APC. In his declaration, Eno cited his admiration for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the need to “connect Akwa Ibom to the centre,” and the unresolved national leadership crisis within the PDP as justification for his defection.
However, political watchers note that no major PDP figure in the state, including his political benefactor and former Governor Udom Emmanuel, followed him to the ruling party. Rather, they have reiterated their commitment to rebuilding the PDP in the state, further isolating Eno’s move as a personal and potentially self-serving political maneuver.
PDP’s Calculated Silence or Strategic Delay?
Efforts to get a formal response from the PDP state chapter have been met with silence. The party’s state chairman, Aniekan Akpan, has declined to make public comments, only stating that the party will respond “in due time.” Sources suggest this silence is not a sign of disarray but a deliberate effort to recalibrate and strategize for the 2027 elections possibly by fielding a strong contender from the Uyo Senatorial District to challenge Eno.
Legal Threats Loom as PDP Support Group Demands Action
Meanwhile, tension is mounting within the party base. A pro-PDP advocacy group, PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice (PAPAJ), has given the party a four-day ultimatum to challenge Eno’s defection in court or face legal action initiated by the group itself.
In a strongly worded statement issued in Uyo by its chairman, Dr. Tom FredFish, the group criticized Governor Eno’s defection as both constitutionally questionable and ethically unacceptable.
“Governor Eno did not offer any credible reason for his defection beyond vague admiration for President Tinubu,” Dr. FredFish said. “This is not only disappointing, but a blatant betrayal of the PDP and the people of Akwa Ibom who voted for a candidate based on a specific party platform.”
The group pointed to Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution, which emphasizes that only a political party can sponsor a candidate in an election, arguing that Eno’s mandate was given by the PDP not the APC.
“This is akin to boarding Ibom Air and landing safely, only to walk out and pay Air Peace for the flight,” FredFish said. “It’s not just illogical; it’s unjust.”
A Legal and Moral Quandary
PAPAJ referenced the judicial precedent set in Hon. Satty Gogwim v Hon. Zainab Abdulmalik & Ors, which affirmed that the power to sponsor candidates lies solely with political parties. By this logic, they argue, Eno’s defection nullifies his right to carry the PDP’s mandate into another party without first relinquishing his office.
“If Governor Eno truly believes in the APC’s ideology and leadership, he should have run under their platform from the start,” the group noted. “He cannot morally or constitutionally ride to office on the PDP’s back and then abandon it midstream.”
While Governor Eno has a constitutional right to freedom of association, PAPAJ argues that such rights must be balanced with political accountability and respect for electoral mandates.
Implications for Nigeria’s Democracy
The defection has reopened old wounds in Nigeria’s democratic framework, where party-switching by elected officials often goes unchallenged, leading to voter apathy and weakening the role of political ideology.
Critics say this latest defection without a resignation or by-election undermines the credibility of elections and distorts the purpose of party platforms, which are meant to serve as vehicles for shared values and policy direction.
With pressure mounting and legal threats looming, the PDP’s next move will not only determine the party’s future in Akwa Ibom but could set a significant precedent in the broader debate over political accountability and mandate ownership in Nigeria.
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