PDP Dismantles Akwa Ibom Leadership After Governor Eno’s Defection to APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has carried out a sweeping shake-up in Akwa Ibom State, dissolving its executive committee barely four months after Governor Umo Eno defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the drastic move was unavoidable because the state party structure had allegedly fallen under the control of the governor now an APC member creating a dangerous overlap in loyalty.

The political climate in Akwa Ibom shifted sharply on June 6 when Governor Eno abandoned the PDP, marking the second loss of a South-South governor to the APC within two months, following Delta’s Sheriff Oborevwori. The governor’s exit delivered a heavy blow to the PDP, which has held sway in Akwa Ibom since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ologunagba explained that the party’s National Working Committee reviewed the situation and found no meaningful distinction between the PDP state executives and their alleged alignment with the APC.

“In Akwa Ibom, the governor has moved on, and what we observed is that the executives there have essentially mirrored his alignment with the APC,” he said.

Ologunagba pointed to Section 10(6) of the PDP Constitution, which prohibits members from associating with rival parties in a way that undermines the PDP or its governments. He described the situation as “anathema,” emphasizing that dual allegiance is unacceptable under the party’s rules.

He further alleged that Governor Eno had openly declared his intention to “control both parties,” a statement that, in the PDP’s view, confirmed compromised loyalty within the Akwa Ibom chapter. This, Ologunagba stressed, made the dissolution necessary to shield the party from further internal sabotage.