In a state known for political stability, Akwa Ibom is now grappling with a fresh wave of betrayal, not just of political godfathers or party structures, but of the very electorate who entrusted their hopes to the ballot box. Governor Umo Eno’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) marks more than a shift in party loyalty, it is a loud indictment of how self-interest has hijacked Nigeria’s democracy.

This political earthquake occurred two years into Eno’s first term, but its tremors are being felt across the entire democratic structure of the state. Backed by thunderous opposition from the people during a town hall meeting in Ikot Abasi, Governor Eno pressed forward with his declaration to “move” Akwa Ibom politically to the APC. When he asked, “Are you going with us?” the crowd’s resounding “No!” should have stopped him in his tracks. But it did not. That resistance was a referendum on his decision, a signal that the people do not support the move. Yet, true to Nigeria’s prevailing brand of politics, the will of the people was ignored.

The fallout from this defection is not just political, it is personal and moral. The man who handpicked Eno to succeed him, former Governor Udom Emmanuel, publicly condemned the defection, describing it as a betrayal, not just of him, but of the entire Akwa Ibom electorate. In a statement issued on Saturday, June 7, 2025, Emmanuel did not mince words:

“I’m deeply surprised by this development. This is a time when Nigerians are facing severe challenges, hardship, insecurity, and a high cost of living. One would expect any well-meaning leader to distance themselves from the party responsible for these problems. Instead, we see the governor throwing his weight behind the same party.”

Here is a man who mentored and positioned Eno for leadership within the PDP, only to be rewarded with a dagger in the back. But beyond personal betrayal lies a deeper concern: the subversion of democratic ideals and the abuse of electoral trust.

Let us cut through the fog of political spin. Governor Eno is not defecting to the APC because of ideological realignment or a desire to serve the people better. He is doing it out of desperation for political survival, a gambit to secure support from the federal government as he eyes a second term in 2027. As Emmanuel rightly said, “We all know the Governor is desperate. He is fighting tooth and nail to secure a second term.”

Two weeks before officially announcing his defection, Governor Eno reportedly issued an ultimatum to his cabinet members: join me in the APC or resign. Three commissioners resigned. Fifteen members of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly reportedly refused to defect. That kind of coercion is not just unethical, it is undemocratic. Loyalty in a democracy must be earned, not extorted.

When leaders start threatening their subordinates to follow them across party lines, it becomes clear: this is no longer about governance, it is about political control.

Let us not forget the most important stakeholders in any democratic system, the people. The electorate voted Umo Eno into office under the PDP platform. They believed in the policies, the manifesto, and the promise that party represented. They did not vote for a last-minute backdoor merger with the APC.

Defecting from the party midterm, without any referendum, consultation, or grassroots consensus, is nothing short of stealing the people’s mandate. The idea that one man, irrespective of his office, can override the collective will of millions without consequence, reveals just how broken our system is.

When a governor makes a seismic political move without public consultation, when the crowd screams “No!” and he still presses on, what we have is autocracy in democratic clothing.

The Nigerian constitution, as it stands, is too lenient on executive defections. While lawmakers risk losing their seats for crossing the floor without a crisis in their party, governors face no such checks. This loophole allows governors like Eno to ride roughshod over voters’ wishes with zero repercussions. It is a legal imbalance that needs urgent correction.

There must be legal provisions requiring elected executives to seek public approval, perhaps through referendum, before defecting from one political party to another. Anything short of that is nothing but political robbery.

Thankfully, not everyone is for sale. The commissioners who resigned rather than switch allegiance, and the 15 lawmakers who stood their ground, have shown that integrity still has a pulse in Nigerian politics. Udom Emmanuel was right to congratulate them: “It shows that we still have people of integrity who put the people first.”

These individuals are setting the kind of precedent Nigeria desperately needs, a political culture where loyalty to principles, not perks, guides action. It is their resistance, along with the vocal rejection from the people that offers a glimmer of hope in this unfolding betrayal.

If Akwa Ibom’s citizens do not respond to this betrayal with political consequences, they send a dangerous signal that leaders can do as they please once elected. The people must rise, organize, and resist this hijack of their democratic right. Civil society must speak out. The media must probe deeper. And the judiciary must be bold in interpreting the law for the people’s benefit, not the politicians’.

In the 2027 elections, if Governor Eno indeed seeks reelection under the APC, the voters must remember this moment, not just for the betrayal it represents, but for what it says about the future of democracy in the state.

Governor Eno’s defection is a mirror reflecting the state of Nigeria’s political system: self-serving, elite-driven, and dangerously detached from the people it claims to serve. Whether you call it betrayal, opportunism, or a survival strategy, it boils down to one truth, defection without the people’s consent is undemocratic.

This is not just about party politics. It’s about a system where leaders prioritize power over principle and survival over service. Unless this trend is reversed through legislative reform, civic resistance, and political awareness, Nigeria’s democracy will remain under siege, not from foreign invaders, but from its own elected leaders.

The tragedy of Akwa Ibom is not just that a governor defected. It is that he did so with impunity, and expected everyone else to simply clap.