Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has called for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno in the 2027 general elections, predicting a decisive sweep for the All Progressives Congress and framing the coming contest as a referendum on continuity, stability and long-term economic reform.
Akpabio made the call on Wednesday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, during activities marking the 39th anniversary of the creation of the state. The Senate President, who previously served as governor of the state, addressed a diverse crowd of stakeholders, traditional rulers and political leaders, urging them to support President Tinubu and Governor Eno while stressing that the progress of Akwa Ibom must always rise above partisan considerations. “The progress of Akwa Ibom must always rise above partisan considerations. Every generation of leaders has a duty to add another storey to the edifice handed down to it,” he said.
The endorsement is particularly notable because Governor Eno is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party. Akpabio, a chieftain of the APC, commended Eno for what he described as his commitment to development, peace and economic advancement, citing the governor’s ARISE Agenda as a framework that had sustained the state’s progress in the areas of rural development, economic advancement and the welfare of residents. The Senate President’s decision to back a governor from an opposition party highlights what political analysts describe as a pragmatic approach to state-federal collaboration in the Niger Delta, where developmental governance is increasingly prioritised over traditional partisan combat.
Akpabio said President Tinubu remains a friend of the South-South region and expressed confidence that the President would receive strong support from the zone and other parts of the country. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a friend of the South-South zone, and he will get maximum victory from the region and other parts of the country,” he said. He argued that the economic policies initiated by the President, while demanding significant sacrifice from the populace, are vital for Nigeria’s long-term industrialisation and infrastructure development. “The case for re-electing President Tinubu rests on national stabilisation and long-term economic reforms. The ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda is a trajectory that Nigeria must maintain to achieve sustained prosperity,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President’s intervention comes amid growing political realignment in Akwa Ibom State ahead of the 2027 elections. In August 2026, stakeholders across the PDP, the APC and the Nigeria Democratic Congress collapsed their structures and endorsed the re-election bids of Tinubu, Akpabio and Eno, a development that party leaders described as an unprecedented show of unity across partisan lines. Akpabio has also adopted the ARISE With Renewed Hope Initiative as his political structure for the 2027 elections in the state, describing it as the machinery through which the APC would deliver victories for the President, the governor and other candidates. Governor Eno has separately expressed confidence that the APC would win all 26 seats in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in 2027.
The anniversary celebrations provided Akpabio with a platform to reflect on the state’s journey since its creation on September 23, 1987, by the military administration of former Head of State General Ibrahim Babangida. The Senate President paid tribute to the pioneers who advocated for the creation of the state, saying Akwa Ibom had grown from a modest administrative territory into one of Nigeria’s most consequential states. “Our greatest resource has always been our people,” he said, citing their achievements across academia, sports and the global professional services industry. He recalled his own tenure as governor, saying the infrastructure, institutions and human-capital investments made during his administration provided foundations for subsequent governments to build upon. “The years of Uncommon Transformation demonstrated what is possible when vision is matched by courage, when public resources are deployed for the public good, and when leadership refuses to accept yesterday’s limitations as the boundaries of tomorrow’s possibilities,” he said.
Beyond the ballot box, Akpabio used the anniversary platform to advocate for greater regional integration, calling for stronger cooperation between Akwa Ibom and neighbouring Cross River State. Drawing on the cultural and historical ties between the two states, he said, “We are one people, one history, and one future,” suggesting that the South-South zone’s economic potential could only be fully unlocked through cross-border collaboration and institutionalised regional partnership.
Governor Eno, in his anniversary broadcast, said the state’s best chapters were still ahead, highlighting infrastructure, education, healthcare and other projects being implemented under his administration. The Akwa Ibom government has scheduled the commissioning of 39 projects as part of the anniversary activities, with President Tinubu expected to commission some of them.
The political significance of Akpabio’s endorsement extends beyond Akwa Ibom. As Senate President and one of the highest-ranking officials in the country, his decision to campaign actively for Tinubu and Eno signals the APC’s determination to consolidate its position in the South-South, a region that has historically been competitive between the ruling party and the opposition. Akpabio’s ability to deliver the region for Tinubu, and his influence over the political machinery in Akwa Ibom, will be tested in the coming months as the 2027 campaigns intensify. For now, the Senate President has made his position clear: the progress of Akwa Ibom, and the stability of the nation, depend on continuity, and he intends to mobilise the state behind President Tinubu and Governor Eno. As he put it, the task before the people is not merely to celebrate how far they have travelled but to imagine how much farther they can go. “Akwa Ibom is rising. And together, we shall continue to build a future worthy of the dreams of our founding fathers,” he said.
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