Senate President Godswill Akpabio has officially handed over the political structure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State to the incumbent governor, Pastor Umo Eno.
The symbolic event took place at the Government House in Uyo on Friday.
Akpabio, a prominent APC leader and former governor of the state, described the handover as a strategic move to consolidate the party’s influence and foster unity.
Presenting the traditional party symbol, the broom, he stated: “I want to formally hand over the APC structure in Akwa Ibom to the new leader of the party in the state. By symbolically handing over the broom that will sweep away poverty, underdevelopment, and disunity from Akwa Ibom.”
Governor Umo Eno recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, ending the PDP’s 26-year dominance in the state.
His defection is widely seen as a major political realignment in Akwa Ibom politics.
During the ceremony, Eno affirmed his commitment to the APC saying, “I am not afraid of joining the APC. It is through the APC that Akwa Ibom can finally realise the Ibom Deep Seaport project, which began more than 20 years ago under Governor Victor Attah.”
The governor’s switch to the APC and the support from Akpabio mark a new chapter in Akwa Ibom’s political landscape, signalling a possible realignment of power and priorities in the South-South state.