Umo Eno Commissions Roads in Udom’s Hometown, Says Politics Won’t Break Their Bond
Umo Eno Udom Emmanuel political differences have been the loudest rumour in Akwa Ibom for months. On Monday 21 September 2026, Governor Umo Eno tried to kill that rumour in the most public way possible.
He went to Awa in Onna Local Government Area. That is the hometown of his predecessor, former Governor Udom Emmanuel. There he commissioned 14.8 kilometres of internal roads and 1.9 kilometres of discharge drains.
The project was started under Udom Emmanuel and completed under Eno. Eno said he deliberately chose to go there himself to commission it as a sign of respect.
Speaking in Awa, he said he has an affinity with Onna people and his administration must continue to develop the area. His verified words were:
“I have an affinity with Onna people, so we must continue to develop Onna. We are together, and we will continue to work together and bring development to our people.”
He also addressed the main issue directly. He said Umo Eno Udom Emmanuel political differences will not affect his personal relationship with his predecessor. He said some people are spreading falsehoods to cause a fight ahead of 2027.
The background to this is clear. Eno left the PDP and joined the APC in 2025. Udom Emmanuel remained in the PDP. That party split made many people assume both men are now political enemies. Since then, every action by the EFCC or any comment from Abuja has been linked to a cold war between them.
In mid September, former Minister John Akpanudoedehe alleged that Eno instigated an EFCC action against Emmanuel, including a claim about a house in Lagos. The state government denied the claim completely.
The Information Commissioner Aniekan Umanah quoted the governor addressing that allegation directly. His verified words were:
“I make bold to say that I have never reported anyone, talk more of my predecessor in office, to the EFCC. I stand to be challenged or contradicted.”
This is not the first time Eno has said this. At his third anniversary briefing as governor, he spoke about how he came into politics and his relationship with Udom. His verified words then were:
“Politics was not my career path, but God put me in the heart of Udom Emmanuel; he did all for me. Therefore, I will not join you people to say anything about past leaders in the state.”
Those three quotes form the core of his message. He is saying his loyalty remains even if party lines have changed.
Onna Local Government Chairman Kufre Umoren who received the governor in Awa described the community as a picture of Akwa Ibom United, where people live together despite party lines. For him, the road commissioning was more than infrastructure. It was a political statement.
The roads themselves matter for Awa. Internal roads and discharge drains change how a community moves during rainy season and how businesses operate. Completing a project started by a predecessor and commissioning it in his own community sends a message of continuity under Eno’s ARISE Agenda.
But politics will test this handshake. 2027 is approaching. Party structures in Akwa Ibom are already shifting. The APC now has a sitting governor in the state for the first time. The PDP still has a strong base built by Udom Emmanuel over eight years. Tickets for Senate, House of Reps and House of Assembly will force both camps to make hard choices. Federal alignment will also matter.
For now, Eno has put facts on the ground. He went to Onna. He commissioned roads. He spoke on camera. He denied reporting Udom to the EFCC and said he stands to be challenged.
Whether that ends the rumour is another thing. In Akwa Ibom politics, rumours travel faster than commissioning convoys. What Eno has done is put his own words and a project on record in Udom’s hometown.
If Umo Eno Udom Emmanuel political differences truly will not break their bond, the next test will not be a speech in Awa. It will be how both men handle party primaries, endorsements and who stands where in 2027.
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