Seven members of the House of Representatives from Akwa Ibom State have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defectors include six lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one from the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
The lawmakers from the PDP are Unyime Idem, Martins Esin, Paul Ekpo, Uduak Odudoh, Okpolu Etteha and Bassey Okon while Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo joined from the APC.
The defection followed Governor Umo Eno’s decision to join the APC in June 2025.
Eno had told his commissioners and appointees to either follow him to the APC or resign their positions.
“Having completed the rounds of my consultations as your servant, I have therefore decided to progressively moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We are not joining the APC from a position of weakness, we are joining the APC from a position of strength, ” Eno said.
The governor’s defection and the subsequent defections of the lawmakers may be linked to his desire to support President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.
Eno’s defection occured weeks after his Delta State counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori, left the PDP for the APC.
Eno was elected the governor of the South-South state in March 2023 and was sworn in as governor later on May 29 of the same year.
A native of Ikot Ekpene Udo in the Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, Eno was born on April 24, 1964, to the family of Mr Basey Umo Eno, a chief superintendent of police, and Deaconess Eka Umo Eno.
The APC has gained momentum in Akwa Ibom State, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, a high-ranking APC member, hailing from the state.
