By NewsWireNGR
The fragile peace within Akwa Ibom’s political class has shattered dramatically, as the state government reportedly ordered the withdrawal of police escorts attached to former Governor Udom Emmanuel, in what observers are describing as the most brazen escalation yet in his feud with his successor, Governor Umo Eno.
A directive, marked Order 472 and dated September 30, commanded operatives guarding Emmanuel’s residences to disengage on October 1 and report to Police Headquarters in Uyo for debriefing. The order, signed by an Assistant Superintendent of Police on behalf of the Government House Chief Security Officer, also allegedly stripped other former officials—those accused of refusing to defect to the ruling camp—of their protective details.
While the Akwa Ibom Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, denied knowledge of the withdrawal, and Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, insisted the order “cannot be from the state government,” journalists confirmed that no security personnel were seen at Emmanuel’s Awa Iman country home or his Ewet Housing Estate residence.
This security drama lays bare a ferocious political war rooted in betrayal, defection, and the collapse of Akwa Ibom’s long-standing political dynasty.
From Godfather to Adversary
The cracks began to show in June when Governor Eno, once Emmanuel’s loyal protégé and handpicked successor, shocked the political establishment by dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). His defection ended the PDP’s uninterrupted 25-year dominance in the oil-rich state, sending shockwaves across Nigeria’s political landscape.
What might have remained an internal rift quickly escalated into open hostility. Eno, now APC, vowed not only to consolidate his hold on government but also to maintain a grip on the PDP structure—effectively fencing out Emmanuel, who has since re-emerged as the state’s de facto opposition leader.
A leaked video in May captured Governor Eno declaring: “We would not leave the PDP for thieves to hijack. We will lead the structure of the party.” That statement, insiders say, was a thinly veiled jab at Emmanuel, marking the collapse of their political alliance.
As the feud intensified, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) dissolved the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council and installed a caretaker committee—widely seen as an attempt to clip Governor Eno’s wings and reclaim the state party structure.
Now, with the withdrawal of Emmanuel’s police protection—an entitlement traditionally extended to all past governors—the crisis has moved from political chess to open confrontation. Analysts warn that the move could set a dangerous precedent and inflame already volatile rivalries.
“Stripping a former governor of his escorts is more than politics—it’s a signal of war,” a top political observer in Uyo told NewsWireNGR. “This is no longer a family quarrel. It’s a full-scale battle for the soul of Akwa Ibom.”
The unfolding drama threatens to redraw the political map of the South-South, with ripple effects likely to shape national alignments ahead of 2027.
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