- Speaks on Why he is Defecting
By Abiola Olawale
The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, in a bold directive, has issued a stern order to all his commissioners and appointees to either dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and move with him to whichever political party he defects to or resign from their positions.
The governor reportedly gave the directive during the State Executive Council on Thursday.
Although Eno didn’t confirm his choice of a new party, there have been speculations about the political party he might be joining, with many suggesting it could potentially be the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“It’s no more news that I’m moving party, if you don’t know that by now, I don’t know what else you know,” Governor Eno said.
He told the commissioners and appointees that they were not obligated to join him in the APC but couldn’t allow them to remain in his cabinet while in another party.
“So, we want our commissioners and members of Excos, appointees; I am told that some of you are saying that you will not come. You are free, absolutely free, not to join me, but you won’t be in my state executive council.
“So, you better just be prepared to resign the day I announce that I’m moving because you are an appointee and your loyalty is to me. You can’t be in my cabinet and play anti-party; it’s not a threat; it is what it is. I won’t beg you to come, you should normally not even expect it,” he told the appointees.
The governor said that although he loves the PDP, he cannot guarantee a seamless election victory for the party due to its ongoing internal crisis.
“I love the PDP, I want to stay in the PDP but clearly, I don’t have a road map to guarantee that I’ll be able to have a smooth sail in the elections, not because we won’t win elections. In this state today, with the work that all of us have done, even if we contest on a zero party, we will win this election. There’s no doubt about it. We’ve worked very hard, but we know that at the national level, our party is not coming together.
“Every day, secretary this and that, and so you take your form, they send it to INEC, and then you run all the elections, you perhaps win the elections and just on technical ground, because the wrong person signed your form, you lose everything,” Governor Eno added.
