Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno’s infrastructure projects, grassroots interventions and reported payment of more than ₦100 billion in outstanding gratuities to retired civil servants are being projected by government officials as key factors that could shape voters’ decisions in the 2027 governorship election.
The governor’s Honorary Special Adviser on Political Matters, Akparawa Godwin Ntukude, said the administration’s development programmes had strengthened its political standing, expressing confidence that the governor would secure substantial votes in the next election.
Ntukude spoke at an inter-ministerial briefing organised by the state government at Isemin Hall, Government House, Uyo, where he argued that the impact of government policies on communities would be a major determinant of electoral support.
He dismissed concerns about possible voter apathy, pointing to the turnout of civil servants and teachers at recent government engagements as evidence of what he described as growing public interest in the administration.
“You saw the number of civil servants who took over that hall. It has never happened in that quantity. That is to show that things are getting better and that the narrative has changed,” he said.
The political adviser maintained that the administration’s emphasis on infrastructure, empowerment and grassroots development had changed how residents assessed government performance, arguing that the benefits of public programmes were increasingly reaching communities across the state.
“From my position and as a political office holder, we have seen that things have changed. The orientation of asking, ‘What is there for me?’ has changed because infrastructure, development and empowerment are reaching the people,” Ntukude said.
He added that political support groups were already mobilising under the Akwa Ibom United campaign to take the administration’s achievements to the grassroots ahead of the formal campaign period.
According to him, the spread of development initiatives across local government areas and development centres had helped strengthen the administration’s connection with residents, which he believes could translate into electoral gains.
However, the adviser’s projection of unprecedented votes remains a political assessment rather than an established measure of voter intention, as public attendance at government events does not, by itself, determine how citizens will vote.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Affairs and Social Reorientation, Engr. Kufre Umoren, linked the administration’s political prospects to its reported payment of more than ₦100 billion towards outstanding gratuities owed to retired civil servants.
Umoren expressed optimism that pensioners and other beneficiaries of government programmes would take their experiences into account when participating in the electoral process.
The Commissioner for Information, Dr. Aniekan Umana, said the inter-ministerial briefing was part of the government’s efforts to inform residents about its policies, programmes and achievements.
With the 2027 election approaching, the administration’s development record and the extent to which residents believe they have benefited from its programmes are likely to feature prominently in political arguments over Eno’s bid for another term. The ultimate electoral outcome, however, will depend on voters’ assessments at the polls.
