Since his inauguration as governor last year, Umo Eno has been preaching peace and collaboration between his administration and the APC-controlled federal government.
By Cletus Ukpong/ (Anietie Edet for the The Southern Post)
2min reads
Published June 12/2024
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has said that being a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) does not mean he has to insult President Bola Tinubu who is of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Eno stated this on the day he received in Uyo many members of other political parties, including the APC, who defected to the PDP in the state, according to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Ekerete Udoh.
Among those received into the PDP by the governor was a chieftain of the APC and a former House of Representatives member, Emmanuel Ukoette; a former spokesperson of the APC in Akwa Ibom, Nkereuwem Enyongekere; a former commissioner for Science and Technology in the state, Samuel Effanga; a former youth leader, the Young Progressives Party, Ubong Edem; former chairperson, Ukanafun Local Government council, Abasiono Udonfuk; and a former member, Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Mabel Udongwo.
• What Governor Eno said
“A lot of people have asked repeatedly: Are you in PDP? Yes! I am in PDP but my PDP is not the type that insults people,” Governor Eno said to the defectors, most of them former PDP members who left the party to seek political fortunes in other parties during general elections.
“So I want to beg you as you come back, one of the things you must drop is let’s not attack leaders.
“From the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we will and must show him support and respect. That is the PDP I run.
“We don’t attack leadership because what goes round comes round.
“If I have a suggestion, I have access to the president, we will go and give our suggestions. We will support our leaders and we will not fight them.
“I am a pastor trained to respect people and we must continue to show that all-important character of humility, of compassion and of respect to constituted authority.
“That, I shall continue to do. I and our Party will continue to collaborate with the centre so that we can bring dividends of democracy to Akwa Ibom. I will not fight the centre. Nobody will fight the centre. That is the point and now that you are coming back, that is what we will maintain. We will give peace a chance,” he said.
Mr Eno said that his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel ran a peaceful administration, and that he (Eno) will continue to ensure peace in the state.
“Without peace, there can be no progress. So please for those of you that were abusing us, don’t bring that spirit of abuse and begin to abuse people in authority. Please drop that spirit and let’s work together. We have only one President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we owe him our allegiance.
“We must show respect, decency and loyalty. That’s why, everything that the president promised us, God will touch his heart and he will give it to us. You don’t abuse somebody and then turn around and want to go and benefit from the person. Is that good?”
• ‘Standing firm’ in PDP
Mr Eno, however, said that he and others were “standing firm” in the PDP in Akwa Ibom, apparently dispelling any misconception that could arise from his pledging of “allegiance” to President Tinubu.
He advised the defectors against “illegal meetings”.
“Don’t let anybody deceive you. Don’t attend any illegal meetings, don’t go. They call you in the night and say come to this place, someone wants to see you. That is a lie.”
According to the statement, the PDP chairperson in the state, Aniekan Akpan, welcomed the defectors to the party and urged them to work for the growth and expansion of the party.
