Politics

Ex-Minister Accuses Akwa Ibom Gov Of Forcing Lawmakers Into APC

ByTitilope Adako

PublishedJune 10, 2025

Former Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien, has alleged that Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State is coercing lawmakers and local government chairmen to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Essien, who clarified that he has not joined the APC despite attending the governor’s defection event, said his presence was merely out of solidarity as an indigene and not a declaration of party support.

“I have not defected from any party to another,” he stated, reaffirming his neutrality since retiring from active politics in 2014.

While he praised Governor Eno’s leadership style as inclusive and mature, he criticised the pressure being mounted on elected officials to switch parties, calling it contradictory to democratic principles.

“These elected officers have independent mandates and should be free to make their own political decisions,” he said.

Essien described the governor’s defection as a strategic response to the internal crises within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and an attempt to align the state with the APC-led federal government.

He also lamented the lack of federal appointments and empowerment schemes for PDP members and politically neutral stakeholders under Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s leadership.

“As an elder statesman, my priority remains the unity, peace, and progress of Akwa Ibom State,” Essien concluded, urging political leaders to promote mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.

Titilope Adako

Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.