Tension has gripped Akwa Ibom State following the reported withdrawal of police officers attached to the immediate past governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, over the weekend.
Findings revealed that all policemen stationed at Emmanuel’s two residences in the state were recalled, a move that has generated heated reactions across political circles.
While some residents alleged that the action was orchestrated by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led state government to pressure the former governor into joining the ruling party, others viewed it as a sign of a strained relationship between Governor Umo Eno and his predecessor.
Emmanuel, who played a key role in Eno’s emergence as governor under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 general elections, is believed to have fallen out with his political protégé following Eno’s defection to the APC.
Despite the political tension, Emmanuel has maintained his loyalty to the PDP and is reportedly working to strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 polls.
Sources close to the former governor claim that his continued allegiance to the PDP may have prompted the alleged move to weaken his influence.
However, the state government has denied any involvement in the withdrawal of Emmanuel’s security details.
Speaking at a press briefing, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, dismissed reports linking the government to the incident, describing them as false and mischievous attempts to mislead the public.
His words, “The deployment, reassignment, or withdrawal of police officers is the exclusive responsibility of the Inspector-General of Police and the commissioner of Police in each State, and not the duty of any Governor.
“I can tell you on good authority that the Governor did not issue any directive to withdraw security operatives from the immediate past Governor.”
He further noted that all former governors of the state are entitled to their legally approved security details, insisting that there had been no complaint or report from any of them.
“To the best of our knowledge, there has been no complaint or report from any former Governor or their media aides about the withdrawal of security personnel. The rumour exists only in the imagination of those peddling it,” Umanah added.
He urged members of the public to disregard the speculation, stressing that Governor Eno remained focused on peace, unity, and good governance in the state.
But in a twist, the Special Assistant to former governor Emmanuel, Barrister Steve Abia, confirmed that the police officers attached to his principal had indeed been withdrawn.
He said, “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 the security personnel is what I cannot make any statement on. So, if you have time we can go there, so you find out,” he told our correspondent.
Meanwhile, a pro-PDP group, PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice, has condemned the development, describing it as a politically motivated plot to intimidate the former governor.
The group’s Chairman, Dr. Tom FredFish, said in a telephone interview that the incident was a clear indication of a rift between Governor Eno and his predecessor.
He said, “So, if the state is saying that it does not know the whereabouts of the security details in Udom’s place, how does it sound?
“Also, this means a confirmation to the fact that Umo Eno is having issues with his leader, because never in a time that the federal government can just come and remove details from a former governor.
“It’s a pity that they have played politics to that extent. All this is just for them to kill the PDP, not to exist in the state and to see how they can pocket PDP.
“Udom has come out perhaps to say, no, PDP has to stand as a party. They are working towards everything to see that the party collapses in the state.
“But it will not work. PDP is not anybody’s federal property in Akwa Ibom State.
“My advice is that they should stop panicking and focus on governance.”