Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has defended his decision to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing himself as a political forerunner whose move has since been followed by several other governors.
Speaking during an interview on TVC, the governor said his decision to leave the PDP was carefully considered and driven by the need to secure greater opportunities for the development of Akwa Ibom State.
According to him, there was nothing wrong with aligning with the ruling party if it would improve access to resources needed to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
“You can’t be hungry all the time. Why don’t you reject it? The man has done well. Funds are coming. Allocations are coming. And we’re able to have funds to get to work for our people. And so I had to. It was a decision well thought out,” Eno said.
The governor also cited the presence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, an indigene of Akwa Ibom State and a leading figure in the APC, as one of the factors that influenced his decision.
He argued that remaining in different political parties could have created unnecessary political rivalry capable of undermining peace and development in the state.
“The Senate President is from Akwa Ibom. I don’t see how we would have maintained the peace trajectory we are talking about with me in another party and the Senate President in another party. The soul of the state is what everybody will be fighting for,” he said.
Eno revealed that he foresaw difficulties in securing the PDP’s support for a second-term bid, despite criticism from those who believed his concerns were premature.
“I did not see, through the way my party then, the PDP, was going, who would endorse my form for a second term. And people said no, it’s too early to judge. But it’s one of the instincts of leadership — your ability to see the future where others can’t see,” he said.
He noted that subsequent political developments had vindicated his position, pointing out that several governors elected on the PDP platform had since defected to the APC.
“Today, you can see who is going to endorse these forms. On which platform would I have run? Almost every serving governor, even second-term governors, have now left the party. Then you expect a first-term governor… So why did they leave? The same people who said I was too quick, I shouldn’t have done that — almost all of them have left. Some of them are with me now in the APC,” he said.
Describing himself as a trailblazer, the governor likened his role to that of John the Baptist.
“I said to them, I came like John the Baptist to prepare the way for you,” he said.
Eno maintained that the true test of leadership lies in the ability to make sound decisions that are validated over time.
“A leader’s judgement call must be such that over time, people will know if you’re truly a leader or not. What has happened today in this country should vindicate some of us.
“And people should be able to be humble enough to say we’re sorry, we were wrong, you were right. But human character, sometimes it’s difficult to apologise,” he said.
He challenged those who criticised his defection to reflect on how many of the governors who opposed his decision still remain in the PDP.
“The truth is glaring. Who is staying? Who among those governors are there now?” he asked.
The governor said preserving peace remains his administration’s foremost priority, stressing that no political ambition is worth sacrificing the stability of Akwa Ibom State.
“For me, you must know the trajectory you want to take your people. First, there is no price I cannot pay for peace in this state. No price. Because we only know when trouble starts. We don’t know how it’s going to end,” he said.
He warned that political crises, once ignited, can quickly spiral beyond the control of those who instigated them.
“Check everything that has happened in this country, all the trouble. Sometimes those troubles were imported. People brought them, but now they can’t control those things.
“It’s like a case of a man who stands and throws a stone into a market square. You don’t know who the stone is going to hit,” he said.
Eno said maintaining unity within the state has helped shield Akwa Ibom from unnecessary political tensions, pointing to his cordial working relationship with Senate President Akpabio.
“If you don’t have support from within, the external forces will not gain too much access. Between me and the Senate President, we’re good. I go to him, I check things with him.
“There’s never been a tension. He’s in Abuja doing his work; I’m in Uyo doing my work. Anything he can see up there that will favour the state, he brings it to the table, and anything I can see down here, I put it on the table too,” he said.
The governor also spoke about his relationship with former governors of the state, saying he has consistently accorded them respect regardless of political differences.
“Give respect to these people. They’ve been here. He’s been a governor. I give respect to all past governors, all of them, without an exception. Nobody can say I’ve ever insulted one of them. If they say things I don’t like, I simply move away,” he said.
He attributed his restrained approach to criticism to his upbringing, comparing it to the conduct expected of a child who chooses not to challenge a parent after being reprimanded.
“Like a young child whose daddy has spanked him, you go and cry in the bedroom. You don’t stay there to reply your dad. This is about culture. It’s about upbringing. It’s about your ability to manage situations,” he said.
