ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Some key figures within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have condemned the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term by Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, and former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
According to them, such actions could fracture the party and harm its future prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Governor Eno who is also, a member of the PDP, publicly declared his support for Tinubu’s re-election during the inauguration of a 65-kilometre, three-lane dual carriageway project in Nsit-Antai Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom.
“Let me end by assuring our people-loving President that we will stand by him. He deserves to complete his eight years in office.
“He cannot start this work and abandon it. Someone else may not finish it with the same passion. Me, I’m supporting Baba Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term,” Eno said.
Similarly, Fayose dismissed the PDP’s chances in the upcoming 2027 elections, citing regional politics. “It is better to allow Asiwaju (Tinubu) to complete his tenure because this is a southern slot. Everybody is fighting for their survival,” he said.
Reacting to the developments, a former Deputy National Vice Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, described Eno’s remarks as “dangerous.”
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“I don’t bother about whatever Fayose says or what he is doing, but I am very worried about the governor — a sitting governor of our party in Akwa Ibom,” George said.
He also warned that Eno’s unilateral endorsement, without consulting the party’s national leadership, could weaken PDP’s structure going into the next election cycle.
“I will advise him (Eno), as a leader of this party and as a father of this party, to take things easy. Taking that kind of decision without consultation with the national body of the party or with other stakeholders is undermining our party ahead of the 2027 election,” he stated.
George further appealed to Eno to reconsider his stance, calling it unprecedented in the state’s political history.
“He should recant his comment in the interest of the history of this country, because what would he be remembered for? It has never happened in Akwa Ibom. It was a wrong decision,” he added.
Echoing George’s concern, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, lambasted both Eno and Fayose for speaking on behalf of the party.
“If there is a state that is 100 per cent PDP, that state is Akwa Ibom. Mr Eno is the governor of the state, but he is not in a position to decide the political direction of PDP members in the state. His endorsement of President Tinubu is personal to him and has nothing to do with our party,” Osadolor told Punch.
On Fayose’s comment, he said, “Nobody takes the former governor seriously anymore. He is at liberty to say whatever he likes because he owns his mouth, but the party is not bothered by the comments of Ayo Fayose.”
Also weighing in, a member of the House of Representatives, Wole Oke, expressed concern over the growing internal crisis within the PDP.
“The PDP is in big trouble, and it is gasping for breath,” Oke said, pointing to the damaging impact of internal discord and the lack of cohesion among party leaders ahead of the 2027 election.
He emphasized the urgency for the PDP to address its challenges, particularly in light of some members openly backing Tinubu’s bid for a second term, less than two years to the next general election.