Cross Party Coalition In Akwa Ibom: The Gains

By Etebong Akpan 

Politics in Nigeria has always been dynamic, shifting and realigning in ways that often surprise even the closest observers. In Akwa Ibom State, the past year has witnessed one of the most significant shifts since the return of democracy in 1999. The once-dominant Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost its firm grip following the dramatic defection of Governor Umo Eno to the All Progressives Congress (APC), coupled with the emptying of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) into the APC.
These events have reshaped the political map of Akwa Ibom, creating what many now describe as the Cross Party Coalition, a broad alliance that cuts across party boundaries, ethnic divides, and political traditions.
For nearly 24 years, the PDP held sway in the State, producing successive governors and dominating the political conversation. But cracks had begun to appear. The rise of the YPP, under Senator Bassey Albert, gave a taste of alternative voices, while the APC, though weakened by internal squabbles, retained a foothold through the influence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The eventual emptying of YPP into APC gave the latter an expanded grassroots structure. When Governor Umo Eno crossed from the PDP to the APC on June 6, 2025, the political equation shifted decisively. At an enlarged stakeholders meeting a month later, Akpabio formally handed over the leadership of the APC in Akwa Ibom to Governor Eno, describing the move not as an acquisition but a merger built on love, sacrifice and unity.
This is not about winners and losers, Akpabio told party faithful at the gathering in Uyo. What we are witnessing is history. We are building one strong political family where all Akwa Ibom people will have a voice. Governor Eno is the leader of our party in this State, and together we will give our people the dividends of democracy.
Governor Eno, visibly moved by the symbolic handover, revalidated his membership at his ward in Nsit Ubium as APC number 001. He explained that his defection was guided by pragmatism, not sentiment. “I had to interpret the times and make decisions that will benefit our people,” he said. “Akwa Ibom cannot afford to be in opposition. We need to align with the federal government to ensure that key projects like the Ibom Deep Seaport, the expansion of Ibom Air, and rural electrification schemes receive full support. My loyalty is to the people, not to political labels.”
The gains of this coalition are already visible. The first is stability. By bringing together once competing factions under one umbrella, the state’s politics has become less toxic and less combative. Instead of wasting time and resources in endless court battles, leaders now gather around negotiation tables. This stability trickles down to ordinary citizens, to civil servants, to businesses, to farmers, to students and even to investors who are always wary of unstable political climates.
There is also the advantage of reduced cost of governance and elections. Where previously three or more parties would have mobilised heavily for campaigns, burning billions in parallel rallies, media engagements, and litigation, the coalition has streamlined those efforts. What is saved can be redirected into real development projects as roads, schools, hospitals and youth empowerment programmes, that touch the lives of citizens directly.
According to  Usoro Akpan Usoh, Governor Umo Eno’s defection will surely reduce the cost of electioneering in the State. This the former Esit Eket/Ibeno State Constituency member insists it is the most important project the governor has achieved for the State since the return of democracy in 1999.
This sentiment was also echoed by an APC chieftain, Mr Udom Ekpoudom. Ekpoudom, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), while answering questions from journalists during the reception rally for the governor by the State chapter of the party at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo said the governor’s progressive movement to the APC was a good omen that will spur political inclusion and development in Akwa Ibom.
Perhaps, the most strategic gain is the alignment with the federal government. With the APC controlling the Presidency and the Senate, Akwa Ibom now has more bargaining power. Akpabio, as Senate President, has already hinted at a new era of federal-state synergy.
For too long, Akwa Ibom was treated as a distant cousin in Abuja, he said. Now, we are at the centre of decision-making. This partnership will bring industries, jobs and infrastructure to our people.
Inclusiveness is another major benefit. In the old order, only the ruling PDP controlled access to state power. Today, with YPP structures folded into APC and PDP elements absorbed into the coalition, a wider net of political actors are represented. Communities across Oron, Eket, Ikot Ekpene and Uyo now feel they have a stake in government. This inclusiveness reduces tension and builds peace, while also deepening democracy at the grassroots.
The coalition also ensures continuity. In the past, changes in political leadership often meant that ongoing projects were abandoned simply because they belonged to a rival party. With the governor and the most influential federal figure in the State now under the same umbrella, the likelihood of continuity has improved. Roads, hospitals and schools are more likely to be completed, regardless of the electoral calendar.
At the grassroots, the benefits are already evident in empowerment programmes, skill acquisition centres, and micro-credit initiatives. YPP’s ward structures, now absorbed into APC, provide new channels for reaching ordinary people. Ward leaders, once sidelined, now have direct access to government initiatives, giving rural communities a sense of inclusion in governance.
Looking ahead to 2027, the coalition creates the prospect of more peaceful elections. With the governor already firmly in APC and the opposition space considerably weakened, the next electoral contest may be less violent and more issue-based. Citizens can hope for debates about policy, not wars of attrition. This, in turn, reinforces the culture of developmental politics where leaders are compelled to justify coalitions not by rhetoric but by performance.
Of course, no coalition is without its challenges. Skeptics argue that it may be more about power than people, pointing out that elite bargains often leave citizens as spectators. PDP leaders in the State, still reeling from the governor’s defection, describe it as a betrayal. “This is not about Akwa Ibom people; it is about personal survival,” one PDP chieftain, who asked not to be named, told reporters. “The governor was elected on the PDP platform, and it is a betrayal of trust to dump the party barely two years into office. History will judge this move harshly.”
Another PDP voice, Emmanuel Ekanem, was even more scathing: “You cannot build a lasting coalition on opportunism. Today it may look like stability, but tomorrow the same gladiators will fight over positions. The people are not fooled.”
These tensions are real. Yet they do not erase the gains; they only remind us that coalitions require negotiation, patience and sacrifice. The cross party coalition in Akwa Ibom represents a watershed moment. Anchored on Governor Eno’s defection, the merger of YPP, the symbolic handover of party structure by Akpabio, and the ongoing membership revalidation, it has redrawn the political map of Akwa Ibom.