UYO, Nigeria – Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has publicly expressed his support for President Bola Tinubu, stating that the president will complete two terms in office.
Eno, who was elected under the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the remarks during the flag-off of the Akwa Ibom segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
“President Tinubu will be here for eight years. We must support this project and align with the national agenda,” Eno declared at the event.
Eno‘s comment comes amid growing opposition efforts led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to unite various parties and challenge Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Atiku, the PDP’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election, has been working towards a coalition of opposition parties, which he hopes will successfully unseat Tinubu’s administration.
Recently, Atiku met with former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and others in Abuja, where they discussed the formation of a broad opposition alliance.
However, the PDP’s governors, in a meeting held on Monday, April 14, 2025, distanced themselves from any potential coalition or merger, stating that the party would not join any such arrangement.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, reading the communiqué from the PDP Governors’ Forum, said, “The PDP will not join any coalition or merger. But the party welcomes individuals or groups willing to join it.”
Additionally, the forum announced the scheduling of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for May 27, with the national convention set for August 28-30 in Kano.
They also appointed Deputy National Secretary Setonji Koshedo as the acting National Secretary, dismissing claims made by Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Monday Udeh-Okoye for the position.
PDP Board of Trustees member, Bode George, also echoed the governors’ position, opposing Atiku’s candidacy for the 2027 election, citing the importance of zoning within the party.
“Atiku cannot be a PDP presidential candidate. There is zoning that must be respected. The North had eight years. The South should have eight years,” George stated.
While the PDP has yet to issue an official response to Governor Eno’s remarks, his comment has further fueled the ongoing political discussions, especially considering the party’s internal disagreements and the growing movement among opposition leaders to challenge Tinubu’s presidency in 2027.
