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Following the governor, Pastor Umo Eno, defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on June 6, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Akwa Ibom State Chapter, has yet to speak out.
Following the PDP, which had ruled Akwa Ibom for 25 consecutive years, Eno rode into power.
He eventually left the party for the APC, claiming to admire President Bola Tinubu. He attributed his departure to Akwa Ibom’s centrist views and the ongoing national PDP issue.
His political godfather, former governor Udom Emmanuel, was among the many PDP leaders in the state who chose not to join him in his new party.
They merely reaffirmed their determination to stay in the PDP and advance the party; they have not yet commented on the circumstances.
When asked by reporters to respond to the situation, Aniekan Akpan, the chairman of the PDP State, declined to comment but said he would reply when the time was right.
According to others, the PDP’s silence may not be an indication of weakness, but rather an effort to rally its support and put forward a strong candidate from the Uyo Senatorial District for governor in the 2027 elections who would challenge the incumbent.
A pro-PDP organization called “PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice (PAPAJ)” asked the party to contest Governor Umo Eno’s defection to the APC in court.
It further stated that PAPAJ will utilize its resources to pursue justice in court if the PDP refused to act morally.
In a statement acquired by ZINGTIE, the group, speaking through its chairman, Dr. Tom FredFish, in Uyo, stated that two main factors led to the call: “that the governor did not give any cogent reason why he left the PDP besides his admiration and love for President Tinubu.”
He went on to say that by abandoning the PDP, the political party that put him in office, the governor had violated section 221 of the 1999 constitution.
He said, “We are baffled that Governor Eno, in his speech declaring for APC, did not give any good reason(s) for leaving the PDP rather than his admiration and desire to win elections for President Tinubu.
“It would have made some sense if the governor cited the internal rift in the PDP for leaving the party, but from his statement, we are tempted to ask if Akwa Ibom people voted for Governor Eno via PDP to become an admirer of President Tinubu and to make his reelection his priority?
“Members of the PDP are confused as to the exact intentions and reasons the governor left the PDP. In his speech, Governor Eno said he was leaving for the APC because President Tinubu worked wonders as Lagos state governor and removed fuel subsidies on becoming president – an unrealistic assessment of the Tinubu administration, which has wrecked thousands of businesses, impoverished millions, led to the loss of lives and destroyed democratic tenets.”
He continued, “another vexatious reason why the group wants the PDP to challenge the governor’s exit from the party is because the governor has inflicted abominable injury on the 1999 constitution in section 221 which noted the importance of a political party in an election: ‘No association other than a political party, shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or the election expenses of any candidate at an election.
“From the foregoing, it is clear that the PDP, through constitutional provision, sponsored Governor Eno to the office of the Governor in 2023 under its platform, and not the APC, and after rigorous campaigns, Akwa Ibom people chose the PDP in an election APC contested based on its principles, values, and manifesto as the party to implement their desire.
“It should be observed that the court to this end, held in Hon. Satty Gogwim v Hon. Zainab Abdulmalik & Ors that the power to sponsor candidates in an election are the sole preserve of a political party and the power cannot be challenged by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Therefore, we can boldly say that if a particular party, which is the PDP, nominated and sponsored Governor Eno to become governor, then only that particular party (PDP) should be allowed to govern Akwa Ibom State. Governor Eno has no constitutional, moral, or sentimental rights to take the mandate of the PDP to another party.”
He stated that “Governor Eno running with the mandate given to him by PDP to the APC amounts to a situation where a person traveled with Ibom Air and after a very safe flight, the person left Ibom Air to pay for the services of the flight at Air Peace, another airline. That is injustice.
“This constitutional provision on nomination and sponsorship of a candidate in an election must have engineered the addition of section 68(1)g to the Constitution because it is surprising to see Governor Eno, who was sponsored by the PDP, defect to the APC that played no role in his nomination and subsequent election.
“It is thus unacceptable and should not be made to stand.
“We are, therefore, calling on the PDP to challenge the defection of Pastor Umo Eno to the APC.
“We give the PDP four days to do the right thing, else we shall initiate a lawful procedure to retrieve the mandate of the PDP for the PDP,” he said.
As for the governor’s claim to the right to association, the group noted that “Governor Eno has a right to association and can join any political party he so wishes, but he should first relinquish the mandate given to him by the PDP and join the APC for another round of association.
“Didn’t the governor see the APC and Tinubu before vying for the position under the PDP, why didn’t he contest under the APC if he truly believes in the party?
“It is a disturbing situation for Nigeria’s democracy, and the judiciary must play its role to restore sanity in the system,” he concluded.
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Jonathan Nwokpor
