PDP’s South-South stronghold crumbles as Governor Eno prepares to decamp
This development stripped the party of its age-long political structure in the state and also deprived it of a potential war chest ahead of the 2027 election.
Unfortunately, while PDP leaders quietly lick their wounds, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State added salt to the party’s injury with an analogy that triggered speculations that the PDP is about to lose another oil-rich state.
On Tuesday, Governor Eno likened the PDP to a faulty aircraft while speaking at a constituency outreach meeting in Ikot Akpankuk, Ukanafun Local Government Area.
The analogy suggested that Governor Eno, who recently declared his support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration, may consider boarding a “different plane” to arrive at his political destination.
“If you wanted to travel with Ibom Airline, and on the verge of taking off, it developed a fault that won’t enable it to fly, won’t you board the next available plane to take you to your destination?” Eno asked.
With this remark, Governor Eno has made it clear that the PDP’s 26-year reign in Akwa Ibom is coming to an end. Even though the governor has not declared his next move, his recent actions have shown his likely destination.
Essentially, the PDP is losing its grip on the South-South states. With Edo, Delta and Cross River State already in the bag for the APC, the PDP is left with Bayelsa and Rivers to play catch up.
The party’s woe is further compounded with the speculation that its 2023 presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, like Governor Eno, is prepping to dump the party for a ‘new vehicle that’ll guarantee good governance.’
Atiku tends to believe that the PDP has lost its spark and the pull power that made it attractive to Nigerians before 2015. Hence, his campaign for a coalition that will wrest power from Tinubu in 2027.
The crisis destabilising the PDP is multifaceted. While Atiku and Wike’s lingering conflict rocks the party on one side, confusion surrounds the party’s national secretary position on the other.
As the party contends with these issues, a fresh conflict may soon erupt as the PDP governor disagrees with Atiku on his coalition agenda. While the PDP still has time to resolve its many crises, the current happenings indicate that if it does not die by 2026, the party will, as usual, go into the 2027 election with a divided house.
In the past 27 years, the PDP has gone from dominance to disarray. The fall started in 2015, following its popular defeat to the APC. Currently, the party is in a difficult and precarious situation, and if its warring stakeholders fail to rebuild, a fringe party will take its place.
