No fewer than three commissioners in Akwa Ibom have resigned their appointments following Governor Umo Eno’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno
15 members of the State House of Assembly have acted against the instructions of the governor by refusing to join the governor in AP. Out of the 26 lawmakers in the state House of Assembly, only 11 members reluctantly joined the governor while the rest refused to go with the governor.
The Commissioners are Engr Eno Ibanga of Ministry of Works, Ini Ememobong Special Duties and Ibom Deepsea and Emem Almond Bob, commissioner of Finance.
In the resignation letter posted on his Facebook page and made available to Journalists in Uyo on Friday, Ememobong said his resignation is in compliance with Umo Eno’s directive that his appointees who are not willing to join him on the political journey to APC should resign.
The statement reads in part, “Behold another bend. Today, I have tendered my resignation to the Governor in compliance with his directive that his appointees who are unwilling to join him on the political journey to the APC should resign.
“While I cannot question or fault the Governor’s personal decision, I am unable to join in that sojourn. “My decision is borne out of my belief in politics with principles and my long-standing opposition to that political platform, which is daily validated by numerous Nigerians across many sectors.
“As usual, I do not know the future, but I know HE who holds the future and I trust that at the end, all things work together for good, to those who love the Lord and are the called unto HIS purpose.”
Akwa Ibom State Governor Mr Umo Eno announced his defection to APC on Friday at a meeting in the Government House attended by governors of Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Ebonyi and Cross River states.
“Earlier this morning I submitted my letter of resignation from the PDP to the ward chairperson. Same copy has been sent to the state and national chairpersons of the party,” Mr Eno said.
Akwa Ibom Governor defect to APC
Eno later proceeded to register in the party at Obotim ward in Nsit Ubium local government area of the state, where he performed defection formalities from PDP to APC.
With his defection, the PDP has lost its stronghold in the state and has for the first time in 26 years become an opposition party in the oil-rich state.
Mr Eno has become the second PDP governor in South-south region, after Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, to join the APC in less than two months.
