-As President Tinubu allegedly shuns reception over 2023 ‘cocaine’ remarks by Umo Eno
-APC national chairman says Akpabio is national leader, Umo Eno is local leader
A video clip that has now gone viral shows the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno begging the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to carry him along.
The video came after the Guide Newspaper, in its Saturday edition, reported that Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, will no longer be attending the official reception of Governor Umo Eno into the APC which was held in Uyo, after it was alleged that President Tinubu was shown a 2023 campaign video where Governor Eno made derogatory remarks against Tinubu.
“Akwa Ibom does not live in the backyard of anybody’s house. Election campaigns bring out who the man is. Whoever we are, this campaign will expose us. If we are area boys, this campaign will show it. If we smoke cocaine, this campaign will show it,” Umo Eno said during the governorship rally in Eket in 2023.
“Akwa Ibom people are no more house boys. Only house boys live in the backyard. That is what they mean. If you make the mistake of bringing them to office, that is what they think you are. They want to make you house boys.
“They talk about the Ibom Deep Seaport to be built. Don’t let anyone deceive you. Nobody, not even the presidential candidate of APC (Tinubu) will leave Lekki Deep Seaport and Badagary Deep Seaport to come and build Ibom Deep Seaport. It will not happen,” Umo Eno further said.
Realising that President Tinubu will shun his reception after much hype, Governor Eno was said to have frantically run to Senator Akpabio to help him beg the President to see if a last minute change of mind was possible.
Sources within APC national leadership confirmed to the Guide Newspaper that President Tinubu has been very angry with Governor Umo since he saw the video and had allegedly directed Senator Akpabio to ensure Umo Eno is closely monitored and restricted within the party.
Meanwhile, as part of the measures to carryout the President’s directive, the National Chairman of APC, Alhaji Umar Ganduje, while speaking during the reception of Governor Eno, on Saturday, publicly announced that Senator Akpabio is national leader of APC in Akwa Ibom while Governor Eno is the local leader.
Mr Ganduje’s comment has since sparked debate within the social media space as commentators are divided over the implication of the comment.
