An Open Letter To Governor Umo Eno – Part 1

Ibanga IsineMay 5, 20256 Mins read87

My Dear Governor, Pastor Umo Eno,

No harm intended

I write this letter with the deepest respect for you, not just as the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, but also as a man I have personally admired for your humility, compassion, and genuine desire to better the lives of our people. I do not engage in praise and worship save for the Almighty God. As a result, this is not a political attack or a subtle attempt at praise-singing and should not be construed as such under any circumstances. This is a genuine conversation and an honest intervention. I am doing this because I believe you deserve to hear the truth, no matter how unpleasant.

The stakes are too high, and the whispers are too loud to continue to stay silent. It is time to speak the bitter truth openly and offer some perspectives that may help you make an informed decision. Your Excellency, there is widespread speculation that you are considering defecting from your political party to another platform. You have been making veiled statements about it in many forums, and you talked about it recently in Ukanafun, when you shared the analogy of leaving Ibom Air to board Air Peace if the former encounters problems.

If you truly wish to defect, I must urge you to reconsider your political future and the destiny of Akwa Ibom State. As a curator of history, I know that the political platform on which you contested the last election is more than just a party in the state; it is a strong political ecosystem. It is the platform that provided you with the political identity, structure, and legitimacy. It is the house built with the blood, sweat, and sacrifice of thousands of dedicated citizens, some of whom gave up all to assure your victory. The concept of abandoning this platform to join another, currently struggling to keep the country together, is not just dangerous; it can be potentially catastrophic.

History is a Beautiful Mirror

Allow me, Your Excellency, to draw your attention to the story of our elder brother, Senator Godswill Akpabio—a man who once commanded the same political and emotional loyalty you have now. During his administration, Akpabio gained a cult following. Many of the people who are now shouting “strategy” and “realignment” in your ear used to be on his “praise and worship team.” They sang his praises, nicknamed him the “Uncommon Transformer,” and worshipped at his political altar with fanatical fervour. However, when he defected, the tides shifted, and the carrots stopped dropping; they did not hesitate to spew the vilest insults at him. They mocked him after he lost the senatorial election in 2019. They forgot everything he had done for them and how he invited them into the political kitchen to eat sumptuously from the delicacies of our common patrimony. They were more concerned with the platform that fed them than with his legacy and the friendship they shared. No absurd word was spared when addressing him.

The history is a very beautiful thing, and it is right in front of us to see. Just look at those who got there before you: Chief Don Etiebet, the late Obong Ime Umana, Chief Umana Umana, Chief Nsima Ekere, and Senator John Udoedehe (to mention a few), who were once towering figures who played pivotal roles in shaping the party in Akwa Ibom and Abuja. Today, many of them are on the sidelines, watching from a distance as the game continues without them. What happened to them is not a folktale. It is a real-time reminder that the terrain is far from predictable.

Permit me to remind you, Your Excellency, that many well-meaning citizens of Akwa Ibom wrote openly to your predecessor, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, during his time in office. They appealed to him to make certain course corrections to avoid potential challenges after leaving office. These concerned individuals did not just offer criticism—they gave constructive feedback and practical recommendations for improvement.

Ironically, many of the same voices now singing your praises were, at the time, among those who harshly attacked these citizens for daring to speak the truth to power. Yet, as time has shown, history has vindicated those who spoke out.

Beware of Chronic Praise Worshippers

Your Excellency, it has always been my duty to speak truth to power. I have never insulted any Akwa Ibom leader, and I never will. But those who may attack me for offering you this honest advice—or falsely claim that I am your enemy—are the same individuals who rely on sycophancy to survive and will never speak the truth to you. Do not be swayed by the mushroom organisations that will suddenly emerge to endorse your defection. Promoting such causes is how they earn a living—they do not genuinely care about your success. Their interest lies not in your vision but in what they can extract from the system.

These individuals once served Governor Victor Attah with praise, yet turned against him when he clashed with his political son, Godswill Akpabio. They later insulted Akpabio when Udom Emmanuel took over. God forbid, if you disagree with Udom Emmanuel, they will not hesitate to insult him, to prove their “loyalty” to you. But that is not loyalty. That is stomach loyalty at its worst. True loyalty is grounded in honesty, courage, and the willingness to speak the truth for the greater good, even when it is uncomfortable.

I do not believe those who offered constructive criticism were against Governor Emmanuel then, just as I am not against you now. I bear no ill will toward anyone God has chosen to lead our beloved state. My only interest is seeing Akwa Ibom thrive under a responsive, inclusive, and accountable leadership.

Another sobering reality: most of the top political leaders, grassroots mobilisers, and party loyalists who gave you their blood and soul during the previous election may not follow you to the new party. I believe their viewpoint may be unequivocal: we are PDP through and through. They may not join you for financial gain, political power, or sentimental reasons. These are the people who worked tirelessly to safeguard your mandate. Many fought tooth and claw to persuade naysayers that you were the proper guy for the job. To see you turn your back on the platform that enabled your rise will feel like betrayal, and they will not forget.

The Grass might not be as Green across the Fence

Let us be frank, Sir. The destination you have in mind might not be as welcoming as you think. Right now, it is like navigating a leaking canoe through a hurricane, only that the waters are already crowded with well-fed political sharks engaged in a never-ending swimming contest, each determined to outflank the other. And let us not kid ourselves. You are well aware of someone who practically owns the GPS coordinates of the party’s structure in Akwa Ibom and has Abuja on speed dial. Thinking you will simply walk in and take control of the structure is not confidence. It is an experiment in political suicide.

Staying in your current party is not just about loyalty. It is a strategic move for the stability and progress of Akwa Ibom State. The reality is that your party is solid at home. The structure is intact, you are firmly in control, and there is peace on your side of the Fence. You have the support, the breathing space, and the political capital to deliver on your ARISE Agenda fully. Better still, you are already enjoying bipartisan goodwill, a rare currency in Nigeria’s political marketplace. So, why trade all that for a plunge into uncertainty, endless turf wars, and the real risk of a possible public embarrassment? Sometimes, the most brilliant move is knowing when to stay the course.

Your Excellency, no one can lawfully hinder your decision should you choose to defect because you are a free moral agent, eligible to make political decisions in line with your convictions. But it is important to reflect deeply on the far-reaching implications of such a move. Should you proceed along that path, you may inevitably forfeit control over the political structure you have inherited and diligently consolidated. It is a possibility. Unlike in Delta State, where the governor has become the leader of the new party on defection, you may not enjoy that privilege unless you push hard for it at the negotiation table. If not, in the new political territory, you would be subordinated to an already entrenched power bloc, led by the party’s most influential figure in the state, who is also the third-highest-ranking official in the country.

Those who have stood with you would be compelled to start afresh, taking their place at the end of the queue in a system where loyalty has long been pledged elsewhere. And crucially, the freedom you currently enjoy shaping your succession may be significantly curtailed; the latitude that enabled your emergence may not be extended to you in kind.

Even more worrisome is that regardless of the assurances or agreements you may extract in the defection process, the odds will remain firmly stacked against you. Political pacts, however promising they may appear on paper, are often subject to shifting tides and competing interests. In such a terrain, agreements are elusive, and influence is neither automatic nor enduring.

… to be continued

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