Excitement as Akwa Ibom people await presidential visitors

By Solomon Essiet

Other things being equal, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is expected in Akwa Ibom State during the event marking the 39th Anniversary of Akwa Ibom State on September 23, 2026, for the commissioning of some signature projects of His Excellency, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, PhD, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

The projects to be commissioned by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, include: the International Airport Hospital at the Victor Attah International Airport, the International Terminal Building, including the 3.8km parallel taxiway, new apron and 1.8km access road, the Aviation Village at Victor Attah International Airport, the 14.5km Airport-Okopedi Road across Nsit Atai and Okobo Local Government Areas, the 7.868km Ring Road 3 across Uyo and Ibiono Ibom Local Government Areas, the Command and Control Centre, Governor’s Office Annex, AkwaGIS Building and Arise Palm Resort.

Since the assumption of office on May 29, 2023, Governor Eno has set the ball rolling, connecting the dots of infrastructural development across the 31 Local Government Areas of the State simultaneously, without borrowing a dime from any bank in or outside the country. His governance blueprint, the ARISE Agenda, a carefully planned document, has helped the administration of Governor Umo Eno to implement the programmes embedded in the ARISE Agenda for the benefit of all Akwa Ibom people.

The 39 projects currently being commissioned throughout the State from the first of September 2026 to mark the 39th Anniversary of Akwa Ibom State is a testament to the commitment of Governor Eno in changing the narratives of leadership, most especially when it comes to equitable distribution of projects.

This is the first time that projects have been spread across all 31 Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State by a sitting Governor during his first term in office. I stand to be corrected. The level of massive development across the State has left many people wondering: how can an individual who we said knew nothing about governance achieve this much within just his first term in office? This is what is playing out in the minds of the die-hard critics of the Governor.

At the same time, Governor Eno has surpassed the expectations of many in Akwa Ibom State. Upon his assumption of office, he met an outstanding gratuity of 111 billion Naira. To date, over 90 billion Naira has been paid. In road infrastructure, over 1,300 kilometres of roads have so far been constructed across the 31 Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State. These include other achievements in the area of housing schemes in which over 1,000 units of houses have been constructed in the State within his first term in office. We are referring to projects that can be seen and touched, not rhetoric.

A child who performed well deserves a handshake from his father. To this end, Governor Eno deserves that presidential handshake during the visit of Mr. President to Akwa Ibom State. He has done well and deserves to be honoured by the presidential visit.

Beyond the visit for commissioning of the projects mentioned above by the President, it would be a veritable platform for the Governor to make a case for the Akwa Ibom people, most especially, the much-talked-about Ibom Deep Seaport.

Akwa Ibom people shall be longing to hear the President talk about the Ibom Deep Seaport, promising that the project would not terminate as a dream, but would see the light of day during his administration. This is as the economic impact of the proposed Ibom Deep Seaport, when realised, cannot be overemphasized. Akwa Ibom people are ready to seize the moment.

When the number one citizen of a country visits your State, it can never be dismissed as one of those things. No, it is usually a moment filled with nostalgia and an unforgettable experience, capable of changing whatever narrative that held sway within the geographical terminus of the royal visitation.

Do not be deceived, the President of a country is the number one citizen of that country, it doesn’t matter whether you like his face or not. There is something about the grace of election.

The surest thing one can do is gather enough courage to contest a free and fair election to emerge as the President, and be in charge as well. That also depends on not just your popularity, but your capacity to meet the demands of such an exalted office.

I read so many updates about different presidential candidates of various political parties in the build-up to the 2027 general election, and I laugh. Where were they in the days of NADECO? When the freedom fighters looked at the military Government face to face and challenged them to a standstill, risking their lives, family and business? Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu was one of them.

A notable figure in the struggle. You don’t just wake up one day to inherit the throne you never fought for. This and several other instances are the reasons some people are in for a long wait.

It is important to state here that President Bola Ahmed TTinub has enjoyed a series of endorsements across the three Senatorial Districts of Akwa Ibom State. In most cases, Governor Eno has been found openly campaigning for support for the President on different occasions. Governor Eno believes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done well and deserves a second term in office, most especially in making funds available for the development of States and creating a serious impact in the Nigerian economy through important reforms.

Akwa Ibom people are ready to vote massively for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, too, has not hidden his admiration for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. The duo is working tirelessly to drum up support for the re-election of the President to return to Aso Rock in 2027.

Let me use this medium to thank Governor Eno for his focused leadership and unprecedented performance in office. The 39 projects and more currently being commissioned in the State will no doubt contribute positively to the living standard of Akwa Ibom people and reposition Akwa Ibom State amongst the States when a question bordering on the State’s development indices arises. We love you, our Governor. The good people of Akwa Ibom State will vote massively to ensure your second term in office is secured.

Arise, that same God.

Essiet, ACIA, Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State