Umo Eno, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, has made his position with respect to his support for President Bola Tinubu’s second term ambition clear, saying it is intentional and not a betrayal of his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
On Tuesday, Eno, a PDP member, said Tinubu—who belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC)—would complete his eight-year tenure as President.
While addressing a rally in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area on Thursday, Eno said his decision is absolutely sincere and will be explained at the appropriate time.
“Me, I don’t know how to speak from both sides of the mouth,” he said.
“The other day, I said I was going to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. People asked, ‘Why did you say so?’
“At night, they go and tell Baba, ‘We will support you,’ but in the afternoon, they do something else.
“Me, I’m supporting Baba Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term. When the time comes, I will tell you why. The time hasn’t come yet, but let me keep it for now. There’s no point lying to yourself.
“I will explain my reason when the time is right, and you will see why we should support him to complete what he has started.
“You will see what he is doing for our state, and you’ll understand why we should not go elsewhere.
“So, if you want another support, wait—when he finishes, we will then support someone else.”
Eno emphasized that his support for Tinubu does not affect his loyalty to the PDP.
“Akwa Ibom does not flip-flop,” he said.
“That doesn’t stop me from being a member of my party. I am entitled to my own opinion.”
He also disclosed that his second-term ambition is gaining strong support from Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“The Senate President has told me on many occasions,” he said.
“It was confirmed today by the vote that was moved, and our mother has also spoken—that they will support Pastor Umo Eno for a second term.
“So if you take your own, I take my own. You fall for me, I fall for you. It’s play, not a fight. If you fall for me, I fall for you.”
Meanwhile, on Monday, PDP chieftain Ose Anenih claimed that governors in the party “do not have the balls” to confront Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Anenih described the PDP Governors’ Forum’s refusal to join any coalition or merger as “hubristic” and disconnected from political reality.
Also reacting to the development, Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation Magazine, alleged that some PDP governors opposing the coalition may be secretly working for Tinubu.
Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, Momodu asserted that no single opposition party can unseat Tinubu on its own.
