police withdraw security from Ex-Governor’s residence over political rifts with successor 

police withdraw security from Ex-Governor’s residence over political rifts with successor 

The political tension in Akwa Ibom has taken a dramatic turn as police operatives have reportedly been withdrawn from the residences of former governor Udom Emmanuel, following his strained relationship with his successor, Governor Umo Eno.

According to a directive dated September 30 and signed by Assistant Superintendent of Police Ekwo Godwin, officers previously attached to Mr Emmanuel’s country home in Onna and his Uyo residence were ordered to vacate on October 1 and report to the state police headquarters.

Although the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, denied knowledge of the withdrawal, PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that no operatives were present when its correspondents visited the locations.

The move comes as the fallout between the two political figures deepens, especially after Governor Eno’s dramatic defection from the PDP to the APC in June, ending the party’s 25-year dominance in the state.

Political observers warn that the feud—once quietly managed—now threatens to reshape Akwa Ibom’s political landscape, with both men vying for control of the PDP structure as the 2027 elections draw closer.

Already, the PDP National Working Committee has dissolved the state’s executive council, replacing it with a caretaker committee, in what many see as an attempt to curb Governor Eno’s grip on the party. Meanwhile, defections, dissolutions of state boards, and heightened political rhetoric suggest that the battle lines are hardening.

Despite Governor Eno’s repeated claims that he does not intend to “fight” his predecessor, recent developments indicate that the cracks within the state’s political class are widening by the day.