Ex-minister reacts to speculations that Gov Eno was pressured to defect to APC

 A former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana, says it is baseless for people to say that Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State was pressured to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Eno announced his defection on Friday at the Government House, Uyo, in the presence of governors of Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Ebonyi, Imo, Ondo, and Cross River States.

Apart from citing the perennial leadership crisis in the PDP at the centre as his reason for leaving the party, Mr Eno said he wants to work for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 without being seen as playing anti-party.

He said the APC was happy to welcome the Akwa Ibom governor adding that the governor is a performing governor and is highly regarded and loved by the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP is yet to speak on the governor’s defection.

With his defection, the PDP has become an opposition party in the oil-rich state for the first time in 26 years.

It may interest you to know that, Mr Eno has become the second PDP governor in the South-south region, after Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, to join the APC in less than two months.

Money my husband kept for Nigeria ‘vanished’ after his death – Maryam Abacha

Maryam Abacha, widow of former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has rejected long-standing allegations that her late husband looted billions of dollars during his time in office, insisting there is no credible evidence to support the claims. 

Mrs. Abacha who challenged the narrative surrounding her husband’s legacy during an interview with TVC news on Sunday, questioned the basis of the accusations. 

She also claimed that funds her husband allegedly secured for Nigeria disappeared shortly after his death adding that nobody is talking about it. 

Mrs. Abacha who also criticised the continued focus on her husband nearly three decades after his death, questioning the motivations behind the scrutiny. 

She also directed criticism at the media, urging journalists to play a more constructive role adding that Abacha must must be very powerful and loved by Nigerian for still talking about him after his demise Twenty-seven years ago.