The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has formally extended its condolences to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Government of Katsina State, and the family of late former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, following his recent death.
This solemn tribute was the highlight of the party’s enlarged stakeholders’ meeting held on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo. The meeting, presided over by Akwa Ibom State Governor and APC leader in the state, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, began with a minute of silence in honour of the late elder statesman.
In attendance were an array of political leaders and dignitaries including the Senate President (represented by his wife, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio), the State Deputy Governor, Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, members of both the National and State Assemblies, former Deputy Governors, Commissioners, Local Government Chairmen, and prominent figures such as Chief Don Etiebet, Senator Effiong Bob, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, and Chief Assam Assam, SAN.
Stakeholders paid glowing tributes to Buhari’s legacy and offered prayers for his family and the country. They acknowledged his pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s democratic journey and driving national development.
In his keynote address, Governor Umo Eno called for genuine reconciliation and party unity, stressing that internal harmony was crucial for the party’s future. “We must forget the past, forgive one another, and forge ahead together. Politics is a game of give and take,” the Governor declared.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Senate President, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio lauded Governor Eno’s bridge-building leadership and described him as “a man of peace on a mission to unite Akwa Ibom.”
Also speaking, the APC State Chairman, Obong Stephen Ntukekpo, pledged total support to the Governor as party leader in the state, emphasizing that the APC structure was now fully aligned with his leadership.
Veteran stakeholders including Chief Don Etiebet and Senator Effiong Bob hailed the event as historic and a new dawn in the political evolution of Akwa Ibom APC.
In a significant political move, the meeting culminated in the release of a ten-point communiqué which included a unanimous vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Governor Umo Eno. The trio were formally adopted as the party’s consensus candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The communiqué also praised President Tinubu for his economic reforms, applauded Senator Akpabio’s developmental impact in the South-South, and reaffirmed support for Obong Ntukekpo’s leadership of the party.
The meeting marked a turning point for the Akwa Ibom APC, signalling renewed cohesion, clarity of purpose, and a strategic direction under Governor Umo Eno’s inclusive leadership.
