In a dramatic political shake-up, only two members of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly have resisted the wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Hon. Uduak Ekpo-Ufot of Etinan State Constituency and Hon. Sunday Johnny of ONNA Constituency remain loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) amid an overwhelming exodus.
During Tuesday’s plenary, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, confirmed receiving resignation letters from 24 lawmakers who cited unresolved internal crises within the PDP’s National Working Committee as the reason for their defection to the APC.
Although Speaker Otong initially withheld his personal position on the matter, he later addressed the implications of the shift in the House’s leadership structure. He announced that Hon. Sunday Johnny, now part of the minority PDP bloc, would relinquish his role as House Leader. In his place, the Speaker appointed Chief Whip, Hon. Effiong Johnson of Mbo State Constituency, as Acting Leader of the House, pending the selection of a new leader.
Insiders within the Assembly suggest that Hon. Ekpo-Ufot and Hon. Johnny’s loyalty to the PDP is largely tied to their continued allegiance to former Governor Udom Emmanuel, who is yet to make any public statement regarding the defections—particularly that of his successor, Governor Umo Eno.
This development follows a broader political realignment in Akwa Ibom State, where Governor Eno and several key figures—including members of the State Executive Council, National Assembly members, local government chairmen, councillors, and aides—officially joined the APC.
Speaking during a reception for new APC members on Saturday, Governor Eno justified his decision as a strategic move to align Akwa Ibom State with the federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
