UYO, NIGERIA – Fifteen out of 26 Akwa Ibom House of Assembly lawmakers loyal to former Governor Udom Emmanuel refused to defect to the APC, Leadership newspaper reported.
One lawmaker told Leadership anonymously, “We were elected on the PDP platform and remain committed to the people who voted us in.”
Their refusal contrasts with 11 others, including Speaker Udeme Otong, who followed Governor Umo Bassey Eno, to the APC during a ceremony in Uyo.
Three commissioners Eno Ibanga, Emem Almond Bob, and Iniobong Ememobong, also resigned from Eno’s cabinet rather than join the ruling party, Leadership newspaper confirmed.
“I have tendered my resignation in compliance with the governor’s directive,” Ememobong wrote, explaining his principled refusal to join Eno in the APC.
The commissioners, mostly nominees of Udom Emmanuel, reportedly resigned to preserve political integrity and avoid conflicting loyalties, Leadership newspaper gathered.
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Local government chairman Gideon Uwah of Etim Ekpo also declined to defect, citing a personal commitment to the PDP’s development agenda.
According to Leadership, several other PDP-aligned council chairmen quietly distanced themselves from Eno’s defection, preferring to wait out the political storm.
Former governor Udom Emmanuel and former PDP legal adviser Emmanuel Enoidem both stayed away from the defection event, Leadership reported.
Enoidem had reportedly appealed to Eno not to leave the PDP, warning that the move would destabilize long-standing party structures in the state.
Despite these objections, Eno told attendees, “I have decided to progressively move to the APC,” emphasizing his strategic intentions for 2027.
Political observers told Leadership that the defection presents a moral test for public officeholders balancing loyalty with ambition.
Some PDP loyalists believe staying is a matter of principle, not convenience, insisting elected officials owe accountability to their party and voters.
“The people elected us under one platform,” a PDP lawmaker told Leadership. “Switching parties midstream feels like breaking a contract with the electorate.”
Governor Eno assured critics that his administration remains inclusive, but PDP loyalists argue defection weakens trust in political consistency.
Truth Live News reports that the defection has triggered realignment, but also revealed a bloc of stakeholders unwilling to compromise their mandate or party values.