Following the defection of Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ini Ememobong, a cabinet member of the state, has resigned.
Before his resignation on Friday, Ememobong served as the Commissioner for Information, Special Duties, and Ibom Deep Sea Port.
In a resignation letter dated June 6, 2025, addressed to the governor, Ememobong cited compliance with Eno’s directive that appointees unwilling to transition with him from the PDP to the APC should resign.
“You have directed that any appointee who is unwilling to accompany you to switch from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, should resign.
“Ipso facto, based on my personal conviction, I hereby most respectfully tender my resignation as Honourable Commissioner for Special Duties and Ibom Deep Sea Port and a member of the State Executive Council,” Ememobong wrote.
Eno’s defection follows a similar move made by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who left the PDP for the APC six weeks earlier, a shift many analysts attribute to positioning for the 2027 election.
Speculation about Eno’s defection began in April when he openly declared support for the President’s re-election during the flag-off of a 65-kilometre, three-lane dual carriageway project in Nsit-Antai Local Government Area.
Two weeks ago, Eno instructed his commissioners and appointees to either join him in the APC or resign their positions.
Eno, who was elected governor of Akwa Ibom in March 2023 and sworn in on May 29 of the same year, has a professional background that spans banking and the hospitality industry. He previously served as the Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources in Akwa Ibom State and is also the founder of All Nations Christian Ministry International.