President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday, July 18, 2025, hosted Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The closed-door meeting was held as part of ongoing political consultations and comes amid major political shifts in the South-South region.
Governor Umo Eno, who was elected under the PDP platform in 2023, recently shocked many by leaving the party to join the APC. With his defection, he was immediately recognized as the new leader of the APC in Akwa Ibom State, a strong political move that has stirred reactions across the South-South region.
The visit to Aso Villa was publicly announced by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. He made the disclosure in a tweet via his official handle on the same day of the meeting. “Akwa Ibom Governor, Umo Eno, and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday. Governor Eno is the APC leader in his state,” Onanuga wrote.
Photos of the visit also surfaced online, showing the three leaders in discussion, further fueling talks of new political alliances and power shifts. On the details of the meeting, sources at the villa described it as “strategic” and “forward-looking, and a formal presentation of Pastor Eno to the President as the new leader of APC in Akwa Ibom State, a development the President really appreciated and commended Godswill Akpabio for his humility and political maturity”. with emphasis on party unity and strengthening APC’s hold in the South-South region, “the president also said such was not the case with Delta State where the Governor and the leaders of the party are at loggerheads”. Said our source.
The presence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the meeting is seen as a significant political signal. Akpabio, who is a prominent figure in Akwa Ibom and a close ally of President Tinubu, is believed to be playing a key role in solidifying support for the president in the region ahead of the 2027 elections.
Governor Eno, while speaking briefly after the visit, reaffirmed his commitment to the APC and expressed admiration for Tinubu’s leadership. He also stated his willingness to align fully with the president’s vision and policies for national development.
