Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has once again reiterated his support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027.
He stated this on Tuesday in Uyo during a state-wide broadcast to mark the 38th anniversary of Akwa Ibom’s creation from Cross River State.
Mr Eno thanked Mr Tinubu “for the love he has shown us” and for “the cooperation he has equally extended” to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who is from Akwa Ibom.
“We pledge our unflinching support to him as he submits himself again in 2027 for Nigerians to return him to Aso Rock to complete his audacious reforms that have already started to bear fruits across the Nigerian economic and social sectors,” Mr Eno said.
Mr Eno, who contested and won the 2023 Akwa Ibom governorship election under the PDP, defected to Mr Tinubu’s party, the APC, in June 2025. He cited his desire to support the president’s re-election bid and connect Akwa Ibom to the centre as the reason for his defection.
Until Mr Eno’s defection, the PDP had governed the oil-rich state for 26 years, since the restoration of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999.
‘Journey of renewal’
In the broadcast, Governor Eno said Akwa Ibom has made tremendous progress since its creation and praised the people and predecessors for the state’s development.
“It has been a journey of renewal, of phenomenal growth, of undiluted peace, of the deepening of bonds of unity, kindred spirit and pride in our collective identity.
“It has been a journey that will gladden the hearts of our founding fathers who had prayed, consulted and dreamed of a homogeneous state of shared values, ethos and drive, but their hope was not realised in their time,” Mr Eno said.
“38 years ago, this State, especially the Capital City of Uyo, was for all intents and purposes, a glorified village – a rural backwater bereft of modern infrastructure.
“Today, 38 years later, our State has become the destination of choice, the nation’s best kept secret. In place of dusty narrow streets, some of which looked like bush tracks, we now have possibly the best road network in the nation. Our people, long thought to be mostly good at performing domestic chores, have all risen and are holding commanding positions across the world in various professions.
“Uyo today is home to some of the most elegant housing estates in the nation. A thriving airline, Ibom Air, carries our flag of excellence in the nation’s aviation sector – signposting our ascendancy in that sector.
“In sports, we are the official FIFA and CAF designated host of World Cup and African Cup football matches. All over the State, the energy is infectious, our people are hopeful, and the sunny disposition on what the future holds is palpable. Our economic fundamentals are strong and resilient as we ARISE together to build a golden future that unlocks our potentials.”
Governor Eno enumerated his administration’s achievements in the areas of road construction, security, education, healthcare, and agriculture, and disclosed that he has invited the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to inaugurate a 15.13km Ikot Otomo–Azumini Road and other internal roads in Ika Local Government Area of the state, on Wednesday, 24 September.
The Akwa Ibom State Government had declared today a work-free day and scheduled a state banquet later on Tuesday evening to mark the anniversary.
“Let me end this broadcast by again appealing to you, my dear people, to remain united, peaceful, and hopeful. As the political season unfolds, I urge us not to allow the flaming passion of politics to divide us. Elections will come and go, but the Akwa Ibom spirit of love and brotherhood will remain. We are running Akwa Ibom United across party lines,” the governor said.
