2027: Mass Defection in Akwa Ibom as Seven Reps Dump PDP, YPP for APC
In a major political realignment in Akwa Ibom State, seven members of the House of Representatives have defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Young Progressives Party (YPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The move comes just weeks after the state governor, Umo Eno, formally joined the APC, signaling a significant shift in the state’s political landscape.
Six of the defecting lawmakers were elected under the PDP banner: Unyime Idem, Martins Esin, Paul Ekpo, Uduak Odudoh, Okpolu Etteh, and Bassey Okon, while Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo crossed over from the YPP.
Their mass defection appears to mirror the recent political path charted by Governor Eno, who announced his move to the APC in June 2025, citing alignment with national policies and support for President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.
“Having completed the rounds of my consultations as your servant, I have therefore decided to progressively move to the All Progressives Congress (APC),” the governor declared.
“We are not joining the APC from a position of weakness, we are joining the APC from a position of strength,” he added, in a defiant tone aimed at critics.
Governor Eno, who assumed office in May 2023, also instructed his commissioners and political appointees to either follow him to the APC or tender their resignations — a directive that further underscored his commitment to the ruling party.
Political observers say Eno’s move may have triggered the wave of defections among federal lawmakers, particularly as Senate President Godswill Akpabio, an APC heavyweight, also hails from Akwa Ibom.
Eno’s switch to the APC follows a similar move by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who defected from the PDP earlier this year.
Born on April 24, 1964, in Ikot Ekpene Udo in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, Umo Eno is the son of the late Mr. Basey Umo Eno, a Chief Superintendent of Police, and Deaconess Eka Umo Eno. He rose through the ranks in the business and pastoral world before venturing into politics.
With the defection of these seven federal lawmakers, the APC has further strengthened its foothold in Akwa Ibom, a state previously considered a PDP stronghold.
