Dr. Tom Fredfish, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State and chairman of PDP Advocate for Peace and Justice, has declared Governor Umo Eno’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as illegal. He has urged the national secretariat of the PDP to challenge this defection in court.
Governor Eno announced his move from the PDP to the APC last Friday, citing internal party crisis and his admiration for President Bola Tinubu as reasons.
Eno stated, “I am not known to talk from both sides of my mouth, people who know me will know that if I believe in a thing, I’ll go all out for it, I can’t be visiting the president in the night and be saying something else in the day, that’s why I’ve decided to join the train of the president, to support him so I will not be accused of anti-party, let me assure you that our government has always been inclusive government and it shall continue. No matter the party you are, you are first an Akwa Ibom person, political party is only a vehicle and we have our state to live in.”
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Fredfish, however, argued that Governor Eno did not provide a satisfactory reason for leaving the PDP beyond his admiration for the President. He contended that the governor’s defection violates Section 221 of the party’s constitution, which states that a political party shall sponsor a candidate in an election, emphasizing that the PDP was the sole sponsor of the governor.
Expressing disappointment that the state PDP leadership is not speaking out, likely due to their own potential alignment with the governor, Fredfish stated, “PDP in the state will not talk. How do you want them to talk when they are likely going to toe the path of the governor. Before you called me, I was planning a press release to call on the national chairman of PDP to immediately take action and challenge the defection of governor, Umo Eno. The defection is very illegal for two reasons: One is that the governor did not adduce any sensible reason why he is leaving the party. The only reason he gave is that he admires the President. Akwa Ibom People did not vote for him to go and align with Mr President, they voted for him under a political party to implement the wishes of the people, but now because he wants to align with the president, he decided to leave the party was nominated and voted for to another party because he admires the president. Second, the constitution of the party section 221 is very clear and it states that a political party shall sponsor a candidate and the PDP in this case was the only party that sponsored the governor. It’s just like you went to eat at Kilimanjaro restaurant and after eating you went and pay at Chicken Republic. That is cheating. Again, it just like someone entering Ibom Air to use the governor’s analogy, and you had a very safe flight to Lagos and you went to pay at Air Peace this is wrong he insisted.”
Fredfish also mentioned that the governor had previously stated he was leaving because he couldn’t guarantee his second term, questioning why only the governor was concerned about this ambition, neglecting other elected officials.
Separately, another PDP stalwart in Akwa Ibom State, Prince Jeremiah Akpanudo, has urged the National Secretariat of the party to declare the seats of State House of Assembly and National Assembly members who defected with Governor Umo Eno to the APC vacant.
He also called for the immediate dissolution of the state executive council, alleging they conspired with Governor Umo Eno to “sell out the party to strangers.”
Akpanudo, addressing a press conference in Uyo on Monday, described Eno’s defection as an act of disrespect and insensitivity not only to the PDP that brought him to power but also to the entire Akwa Ibom people. He branded the defection as “double standard and betrayal” of the Akwa Ibom people who gave him the mandate in the 2023 election.
“I’m talking on behalf of the people at the grassroots who are not able to speak like I am doing now. The governor’s defection is an act of insensitivity not just to the PDP that brought him into power but also to good people of Akwa Ibom State who voted him into power. His defection is also seen as a double standard because it’s everywhere that he made a comment that if he decamps to APC, he will still hold on to PDP, that is double standards,” he stated.
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Akpanudo reiterated his call to the National Secretariat: “I urged the National secretariat of the party to declare the seats of members of state House of Assembly and National Assembly members who defected with the state governor pastor Umo Eno to All Progressives Congress vacant, because they conspire with the governor to sell the party to strangers. The National Working Committee of PDP should immediately dissolve the state Exco of the party in Akwa Ibom and set up a formidable Exco to pilot affairs of the party. All elected on the platform of the party who had defected to APC be it the governor, Deputy governor, Senators, Federal and State House of Assembly members , Local Government Chairmen should immediately vacate their seats.”
He further called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) to immediately conduct bye-elections for the offices of governor and all other defectors. “I call on INEC and AKISIEC to immediately declare the seat of governor Umo Eno vacant as well as other defectors and prepare to conduct a bye election as soon as possible. Remember, their faces were not on ballot papers. The good people of Akwa Ibom voted for PDP and not names. They cannot take the mandate of PDP to APC,” Akpanudo asserted.
Finally, the PDP stalwart disclosed that he has begun consultations with his lawyers to interpret the legality of Governor Umo Eno’s defection. “We are currently consulting our lawyers to institute court action to interpret the eligibility or otherwise of the defection of Pastor Umo Eno and his co – travelers to APC. I want to let the world know that Akwa Ibom state does not have a one party system. Come 2027, PDP will file their candidates and election will hold in this town and the will of the people must prevail by the grace of God,” he concluded.
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