Eno Alludes to Imminent Defection, Says PDP Will Soon Grind to a Halt

•Likens party to a faulty plane unfit to fly 

•Baraje: Time to move on, defection over flogged 

•Koshoedo assumes office as acting national secretary

Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Emma Okonji and Agnes Ekebuikein Lagos

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has hinted at his possible defection from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Although he did not specify which party he might likely join, he, however, likened the PDP to a spoilt plane no longer fit to take him to the next destination from 2027.

Speaking against the backdrop of recent gale of defections from the PDP, the latest being the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborewori, who moved the ‘Whole of Delta’ to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Eno disclosed that the PDP was heavily fragmented and might soon grind to a halt.

But a former chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, has dismissed claims that the APC might have secured victory ahead of the 2027 general election, saying politics was a game of aspirations, not guarantees.

At the same time, following resolutions of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, which met on Tuesday, Architect Setonji Koshoedo, yesterday, assumed office as the acting National Secretary of the party.

Addressing a mammoth crowd that thronged the Town Square meeting of the Ukanafun/Oruk Anam federal constituency at the QIC Central School, Ikot Akpankuk, headquarters of Ukanafun Local Government Area, the governor disclosed that he might soon join the fray as the crucial 2027 election year inches closer.

Speaking in parable, he said, “If you wanted to travel with Ibom Airline, and on the verge of taking off, it developed a fault that won’t enable it to fly, won’t you board the next available plane to take you to your destination?”

The governor, who enjoined the people to remain steadfast in support of his administration in its quest to deliver on its campaign promises, doled out empowerment succour to over 400 people, including business grants, cars and other freebies.

He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the resources at their disposal, warning them to desist from deploying it to ponzi schemes or any other unintended purposes.

“We need to meet with the people from time to time to see them. It’s not only during elections that we should come to see our people.

“We also have to come and see you in the course of governance, to check your wellbeing, to listen to you, tell you what we have done, and what we are planning to do.

“This is the fourth federal constituency we have visited, we have six more to go and we will finish all in time for the budget department to capture the needs in the 2026 budget.

“We will go through your requests and tell you the ones we have decided to do, based on available funds. We might not be able to do all, but whatever is left we will add to subsequent budgets.

“We will always work with the people because this government is of the people, for the people, and by the people,” he stated.

However, Baraje dismissed concerns over recent defections from the party in Delta State, describing the issue as over-flogged and no longer worth dwelling on.

Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS, Baraje stated that the party’s leadership has moved past the episode and is now focused on future possibilities, including stronger collaboration across party lines to reposition Nigeria.

“As far as the latest defection in Delta State is concerned, I think the leaders of PDP have put that behind us,” he said, adding: “We are overflogging the matter. What we are trying to do now is to look ahead and see what is possible.”

Baraje hinted at the potential for political alliances that could challenge the current structure of governance.

“Looking at the possibility of parties coming together to work — yeah, it is possible. Very, very possible,” he said.

Baraje also criticised the APC-led government over its handling of insecurity and the economy, suggested that had the PDP remained in power, the country would not have descended into its current state.

“Enough attention or enough solution has not been given to the issue of security in Nigeria. One would have thought that one of the cardinal answers to the problem Nigeria has is to solve the insecurity first, but it’s going from bad to worse. I think if the PDP gets there, PDP will do far better than what is happening now.

“What was the economy of the country by 2014-15, by the time APC was coming on board? What is it now? What was it when the idea of Emilokan came on board? What is happening now? Are we any better? These are questions we should ask ourselves. And definitely I know we have the answers. It was not like this in 2014-15.

‘’And you know it for sure that if we have gotten the opportunity to continue, things will not be as bad as they are now. I’m sure if the PDP comes in, if we are given the opportunity to come in, it will not be as bad or from bad to worse as it is now,” Baraje declared

Koshoedo Assumes Office as PDP Acting National Secretary

Sequel to the resolutions of the PDP NWC, which met on Tuesday, Architect Setonji Koshoedo, has assumed office as Acting National Secretary of the party yesterday.

Koshoedo, before his appointment was the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP.

The PDP governors’ forum had at its meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, advised the NWC to appoint the Deputy National Secretary to assume the position of National Secretary in acting capacity pending when the South East zone nominates a new National Secretary in line with the judgement of the Supreme Court.

Upon his resumption, Koshoedo met with the management staff of the PDP in his office at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja, during which he assured them of the NWC’s commitment to further unite, stabilise and energise the party going forward.

The final determination of the struggle for the authentic National Secretary will be settled by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party on May 27, when it would meet.