The political sands in Nigeria’s oil-rich Akwa Ibom State have shifted dramatically as the PDP chieftain who bitterly contested the Senate seat against Godswill Akpabio in 2023 has defected to the ruling APC.

In a move that consolidates Senate President Akpabio’s grip on the South-South region, the defection of his former arch-rival (alongside the state Governor Umo Eno) marks the effective collapse of the opposition in the state. The event in Uyo was a spectacle of realignment, with the defectors declaring that "you cannot fight the center forever."

The "Unity" Narrative

Senate President Akpabio, once the target of the defector’s fiercest campaign attacks, welcomed him with open arms. "Today, politicians across the length and breadth of Akwa Ibom are falling over themselves to join the same party they demonized," Akpabio’s aide, Anietie Ekong, remarked. The narrative has shifted from rivalry to a "unity government" aimed at connecting the state to the federal grid.

• The implication: This defection is more than local politics; it is a signal for the 2027 general elections. The APC is aggressively courting key opposition figures to ensure a landslide.
• The Betrayal: For the PDP grassroots, the move is seen as a betrayal of the party’s values for political expediency. The opposition is now left leaderless in a state it once considered a fortress.

The Abuja Effect

The lure of federal power has proven irresistible. With Akpabio sitting as the Number 3 citizen in Nigeria, the political gravity in Akwa Ibom has pulled everything towards the APC.The 2023 rivalry is buried, replaced by a convenient alliance of former foes united by the pursuit of power.