The headquarters of his previous party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Uyo is still decorated with campaign billboards and photos of Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, over six months after he defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to reports, Governor Eno resigned from the PDP in mid-October and formally joined the APC on June 6, 2025. But according to Leadership, he is still clearly present in the PDP’s large state secretariat.
Investigations showed that armed police officers had been stationed at the PDP secretariat in order to prevent further conflicts between the party’s opposing sections.
According to a party leader who talked with Leadership, the police were called in after Osagiefo Igwatt Umoren’s side tried to take over the secretariat from Elder Aniekan Akpan, the legitimately elected chairman, by force.
According to the source, the police have been present since Osagiefo Umoren’s factional PDP Exco tried a civilian coup to remove the elected chairman and officials.
After Governor Eno defected, the secretariat—once a symbol of PDP control in Akwa Ibom—became the focal point of internal power struggles.
After the former chairman, Elder Akpan, and other PDP executives welcomed Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike to the state at Governor Eno’s invitation to commission the Ika–Azumini Road project, there apparently became further internal strife.
Osagiefo Umoren became the new chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council after it was disbanded by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC).
Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s national secretary, swiftly disagreed with the decision, arguing that the NWC had not convened in a legitimate meeting to authorize the dissolution.
“Furthermore, we have good authority that the NWC did not convene any formal sitting to take such a decision,” Akpan stated.
“Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the National Secretary of the PDP, has issued a press release discountenancing such publications and confirming that no formal meeting was held to sanction the dissolution of our State Exco.”
