Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria has reneged on his earlier warning that any of his cabinet members who quit to contest elections ahead of the forthcoming general elections does so at his or her own risk, warning that there would be no compensation as there was no vacancy in any elective offices.
He recalled that in the run-up to his defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to the central ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on June 6, 2025, there was an agreement with the elected officials, National and State Assembly members, for automatic return tickets before accepting to defect with him.
He, therefore, maintained that he would not breach the agreement, whether there was any zoning arrangement or not.
However, following angry protests by the aspirants, stakeholders and ethic leaders that such undemocratic action would breach the existing zoning arrangement, the governor recanted and urged his appointees with political ambitions to quit the cabinet.
Addressing members of the State Executive Council (SEC) during the EXCO meeting which he personally presided, he doused the fears and appealed to cabinet officials with interest for the 2027 elections to quit to start consultations.
He commended their efforts in their respective ministries in advancing the ARISE Agenda blueprint of his administration, charging them to rededicate themselves to prompt and decisive actions towards delivering the administration’s policies and programmes.
Leadership
