On Thursday, 3 July 2025, a seismic political shift rattled Akwa Ibom’s House of Representatives caucus when seven federal lawmakers formally abandoned the opposition for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In separate letters addressed to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the defectors—Unyime Idem, Martin Esin, Paul Ekpo, Uduak Alphonsos, Eteh Ikpong, Emmanuel Udom and Okon Bassey—announced their departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Young Progressives Party (YPP), citing “unresolved internal crises” and a desire to align with “the party of national renewal”.
This exodus comes mere weeks after Governor Umo Eno’s high‑profile defection from PDP to APC on 6 June 2025, signalling a co‑ordinated realignment that threatens to obliterate the PDP’s once‑unassailable grip on the state’s south‑south stronghold.
With ten federal constituencies in Akwa Ibom, the mass migration leaves the opposition scrabbling for influence, as APC now commands 70% of the state’s delegation, while PDP and YPP are reduced to a rump of three representatives.
Analysts warn this coup de grâce against the PDP is more than opportunism; it underscores a broader malaise within opposition ranks—the collapse of internal democracy, factional purges and rank‑and‑file disenchantment.
For constituents in Ikot Ekpene, Oruk Anam and beyond, promises of “better representation” ring hollow when party‑hopping becomes the norm.
Critics argue that such defections betray voters’ mandate and further entrench patronage politics at the federal level.
Yet APC kingpins are already touting the defections as proof of “people’s will” and “the irresistible momentum of President Tinubu’s reforms”.
How long this honeymoon lasts is doubtful, as realignment often begets fresh backlash.
One thing is certain: Nigeria’s political landscape is in flux, and Akwa Ibom’s sudden pivot may presage similar uprisings across the south‑south and beyond.
The reverberations of Thursday’s coup will be felt all the way to Abuja’s corridors of power.
