Tension has gripped Akwa Ibom State following the sudden withdrawal of police officers attached to the immediate past governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, over the weekend.
Checks revealed that all policemen stationed at Emmanuel’s two residences in the state have been recalled, sparking heated political debates and finger-pointing.
While some accuse the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government of using the move to pressure the former governor into joining the ruling party, others interpret it as a sign of a widening rift between Governor Umo Eno and his predecessor.
Emmanuel, who played a decisive role in Eno’s emergence as governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, has since refused to defect alongside his protégé. Instead, he has pledged loyalty to the PDP and committed to rebuilding the opposition party ahead of 2027 — a stance believed to unsettle the APC government.
Denying any involvement, the state government through the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umana, dismissed media reports linking Governor Eno to the withdrawal.
“The deployment, reassignment, or withdrawal of police officers is the exclusive responsibility of the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police, not the governor,” Umana clarified.
He stressed that all former governors of Akwa Ibom are entitled to security details by law and that no such complaints had been received. “The rumour exists only in the imagination of those peddling it,” he said.
However, Emmanuel’s aide, Barr. Steve Abia, confirmed the withdrawal, stating: “The reality on ground is that if you go to the ex-governor’s houses right now, there are no police security men — that is the truth. Who withdrew them is what I cannot say.”
The development has also drawn condemnation from the pro-PDP group, PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice, which described the incident as politically motivated.
Its chairman, Dr. Tom FredFish, alleged that the move was aimed at weakening the PDP in the state. “This is all about politics and an attempt to pocket the PDP. But it will not work. My advice is that they should stop panicking and focus on governance,” he said.
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