The continuous silence of the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, since Friday when the governor of the state, Pastor Umo Eno, formally dumped Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for All Progressives Congress (APC), has continued to generate mixed reactions in the oil rich state of the South-South.
Three of the governor’s commissioners, Engr. Eno Ibanga Works, Ini Ememobong Special Duties and Ibom Deepsea and Emem Almond Bob, Finance, had all thrown in the towel.
Also, out of 26 lawmakers in the state House of Assembly, 15 members have refused to join the APC, while 11 members sources said, reluctantly followed him.
Speaking during his official declaration, Eno, in the presence of the APC Governors Forum Chairman and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, with his counterpart in Cross River State, Prince Bassey said, “he took the decision to join the ruling party after due consultation with his people for the betterment of the state.”
The governor added that, “Earlier this morning, I submitted my letter of resignation from the PDP to the ward chairperson. The same copy has been sent to the state and national chairpersons of the party.
“Having completed the rounds of my consultations as your servant that you elected to serve you, I have, therefore, decided to progressively move to the APC,” he said.
The governor had weeks ago declared that he was leaving the PDP for APC, warning his cabinet members that are not unwilling to join him in the APC to prepare their resignation letter.
But during the official declaration, his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel was not around. Sources within the state who spoke with Nigeria Project said the absence and the silence of the former governor is suspicious. They said, the situation of things in Akwa Ibom State as it regards the defection of the governor to APC is quite different from that of Delta State that all the machineries/structures of the PDP were carried to APC.
“With the audacity of governor Eno’s appointees as well as some lawmakers to dare the him by resigning from their positions and openly shunned the governor; coupled with the silence of his predecessor, it means that the governor has a lot of work to do so that his second term ambition which many said was the major reason of dumping PDP for the ruling party (APC), would not hit the rocks,” a source who doesn’t want to be mentioned said.
