Akwa Ibom PDP Rejects Alleged Endorsement of Tinubu, Akpabio

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State has rejected claims that it has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Umo Eno ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The rejection followed a political gathering in the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District where stakeholders drawn from different political parties reportedly backed the three politicians for another term in office.

A statement issued by PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice, PAPA-J, however, described the reported PDP endorsement as false.

The group said the PDP had not collapsed its structures into the APC and insisted that the party remained active across the state.

PAPA-J made its position known in a statement signed by its chairman, Dr. Tom FredFish, and secretary, Mr. Saviour Uko.

The group said reports suggesting that the PDP had abandoned its political structure to support Tinubu, Akpabio and Eno were intended to create a misleading impression about the political situation in the state.

”PAPA-J wishes to state categorically that no legitimate PDP structure in any Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has collapsed for the APC.

TThe PDP remains a formidable political platform in the state, with structures, members, and supporters across the 31 Local Government Areas.

”What the APC appears to be doing is an exercise in political desperation, borrowing the name and identity of the PDP because of the party’s enduring popularity among Akwa Ibom people, in an attempt to scout for votes ahead of 2027,” the statement said.

The group also questioned the identity of the person presented as the PDP chairman at the meeting where the endorsement was announced.

According to PAPA-J, the individual does not represent the authentic leadership of the party in the state.

The group maintained that genuine PDP decisions must come through recognised party organs and structures rather than through gatherings whose participants are presented as representatives of the entire party.

”The authentic leadership of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State is represented by the distinguished Hon. (Barr.) Igwat Umoren, and genuine PDP members should not be deceived by individuals or arrangements presented as party decisions when they do not emanate from the legitimate party structure.

”It is therefore instructive for PDP members, supporters and the general public to ignore political arrangements allegedly conceived and executed in the middle of the night, particularly when such arrangements are subsequently presented as the collective position of the PDP,” the statement added.

The statement comes after reports that political stakeholders from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, including members of the PDP, APC, National Democratic Congress and other groups, adopted a communique backing Tinubu, Akpabio and Eno for the 2027 elections.

The communique reportedly endorsed Tinubu for another term as President, Akpabio for another term as senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District and Eno for a second term as governor of Akwa Ibom State.

The resolution was reportedly adopted through a voice vote after a motion was moved by Senator Emmanuel Ibokessien and seconded by Hon. Iboro Ekanem.

Akpabio, who was present at the gathering, welcomed the endorsement and linked the development to what he described as political unity in the state.

“The peace in the state has finally led to the opposition parties joining to declare that they all stand on the mandate of Mr President,” Akpabio said.

He also expressed confidence that the support would translate into votes for Tinubu, Eno and himself during the 2027 elections.

“I can assure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Umo Eno that the people of this district will give them 100 percent of the votes,” he said.

Akpabio further pointed to the presence of PDP figures at the gathering as evidence of the growing political cooperation across party lines.

However, PAPA-J has rejected that interpretation.

The group said the presence of individuals who may belong to the PDP at a political gathering should not automatically be presented as an official decision of the entire party.

It argued that individual political choices cannot be equated with the position of a political party unless such decisions are formally taken through the appropriate structures.

PAPA-J also urged PDP members and supporters across Akwa Ibom to remain calm and focused as political activities ahead of 2027 intensify.

The group challenged the APC to rely on its own structures and political identity instead of presenting individuals or gatherings involving opposition members as evidence that the PDP has collapsed.

PAPA-J said the PDP’s continued popularity in Akwa Ibom remained the reason, in its view, that attempts were being made to associate the party with the APC’s 2027 campaign.

“PAPA-J challenges the APC to build its own structures and campaign on its own record rather than attempting to appropriate the identity and popularity of the PDP,” the group stated.

Governor Umo Eno, who was elected on the PDP platform in 2023, has increasingly worked with Tinubu and Akpabio despite the differences between the PDP and APC at the national level. Eno has repeatedly spoken about political cooperation and an inclusive approach to governance.

The governor has also praised Tinubu’s policies and maintained that political differences should not prevent cooperation in the interest of Akwa Ibom.

Akpabio had earlier backed Eno’s bid for a second term, while Eno had also expressed support for Akpabio and Tinubu ahead of 2027.

PAPA-J insisted that the party remains intact and that its members should not regard the reported gathering as an official decision to support the APC or its candidates.

The group further urged PDP supporters to disregard any endorsement that does not originate from what it described as the legitimate organs of the party.

It said the party would continue to operate across the 31 local government areas of the state and urged its members to remain united as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.

The statement ended with a direct warning against what PAPA-J described as attempts to manufacture the impression that the PDP had collapsed in Akwa Ibom.

”The PDP remains a political force in Akwa Ibom State. The APC’s attempt to manufacture a PDP collapse is, at best, a mission impossible. The PDP has not collapsed. Its structures remain alive across the state, and its members remain committed to the democratic principles and political ideals upon which the party was founded,” the group insisted.