By Samuel Adeola
A group of All Progressives Congress (APC), stakeholders in Akwa Ibom has rejected Governor Umo Eno’s plan to grant automatic return tickets to incumbent National Assembly members in the state.
Operating under the name Concerned Members of the APC, the group petitioned President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, describing the move as “undemocratic, unconstitutional, and a violation of the APC constitution.”
The petition, signed by party leaders across the state’s 10 federal constituencies, alleged that the governor’s decision aims to sideline loyal legacy members, especially those aligned with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“There is a grand conspiracy to annihilate legacy members who stood with Senator Godswill Akpabio in building and sustaining the party,” the petition read.
The group also accused Governor Eno of rewarding non-performing lawmakers, some of whom allegedly flout zoning arrangements. They warned that the plan risks deepening tensions between long-standing party members and recent defectors.
“What exists is a peace of the graveyard; a cold war is brewing,” they said, adding that the development could be a calculated attempt to diminish Akpabio’s influence in the party.
They urged President Tinubu to intervene to avert an internal crisis and ensure a level playing field ahead of future elections.
“Those who toiled to build this party deserve inclusion, not exclusion,” the group concluded.
