Facts emerged on Sunday that the declaration of support by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, was negotiated by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
Findings by THE WHISTLER revealed that the deal was a product of high profile political horse trading between the governor and the chief federal lawmaker.
Akpabio, who represents Akwa Ibom North West district, is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in a state controlled by the PDP.
Further investigation revealed that the deal was part of the permutations by Akpabio to deliver Akwa Ibom for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential poll.
The governor has also pledged support for Akpabio’s re-election to the Senate, vowing to work against any other candidate of the PDP who may wish to contest with him.
This, it was reliably gathered, is geared towards consolidating the Senate President’s position in the ruling party and to also solidify his close association with Tinubu.
A senator, who spoke with our correspondent in confidence, hinted at Akpabio’s desire to retain the Senate Presidency post 2027, an aspiration which, he said, would require him to make significant electoral contribution to Tinubu’s victory in the next election.
The lawmaker said Akpabio got Tinubu’s backing for the Senate Presidency because he stepped down for the former Lagos State governor during the last APC presidential primary election.
“Akpabio became Senate President primarily because he stepped down for Tinubu during the last APC presidential primary.
“Some party members even believed that the APC deliberately zoned the position of Senate President to the South South just to compensate Akpabio.
“But the man is already scheming to retain the position post 2027 and he must bring something new to the table to get the President’s support,” he said.
Akpabio has also pledged to support the governor’s re-election, as a way of reciprocating the gesture, even though the APC will also be fielding a candidate in the state’s 2027 governorship election.
Insiders say the mutually beneficial deal will also indemnify the governor against the proverbial “federal might” during the Akwa Ibom governorship election.
It takes the involvement of state governors for a candidate of an opposing party to garner the requisite quantum of votes, during a presidential election.
The Akwa Ibom governor declared support for Tinubu barely 24 hours after his fellow PDP Governors announced their decision to field a presidential candidate against Tinubu in 2027.
Rising from a meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum in Ibadan last Monday, the governors ruled out the prospect of the PDP joining a coalition for the purpose of prosecuting the 2027 election.
The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who spoke after the meeting, however, said the PDP would not reject politicians or political groups who may wish to join forces with the party ahead of the election.
Governor Eno made his controversial declaration on Tuesday during the flag off of a federal government’s road project in his state.
He is seen and heard in a video that has now gone viral, saying “We are assuring our people-loving president who will complete eight years that we are going to stand by him because this is the truth.
“He (Tinubu) cannot start this work and abandon it because someone else may not finish it…The hand that has started this work shall complete it.
“Our prayer to God for Mr President is for good health so that he can finish this work that he has started, so that it will not be abandoned like the East-West road that we have stayed there forever.
“We will continue to collaborate with Mr President’s administration because he has shown us love and worked with us across party lines. We will also work with him across party lines.
“We will continue to work with him to spread the news of prosperity and deepen our unity, faith and pride of the Nigerian state.”
Attempts by THE WHISTLER to get official reaction of the PDP leadership to Governor Eno’s declaration were unsuccessful.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, did not respond to inquiries as to whether the Akwa Ibom governor’s position reflected the position of the party, or that he expressed his personal views.
