New PDP Spokesperson Emerges After Akwa Ibom Political Rift

The Peoples Democratic Party chose a new national publicity secretary on Saturday during its national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, where former Akwa Ibom commissioner, Ini Ememobong, was elected into the position. The vote came months after he stepped down from Governor Umo Eno’s cabinet when the governor moved from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress.

Ini Ememobong, who is a lawyer and public relations professional, returned to a role he once held at the state level. Before joining government, he served as the spokesperson of the PDP in Akwa Ibom, a position that placed him in the public eye and helped shape the party’s communication structure in the state. He had also worked in the Udom Emmanuel administration as commissioner for information.

His long political journey began during his student years at the University of Uyo, where he led the National Association of Nigerian Students. His early involvement led to an appointment as special assistant on student matters to former governor and now Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

After the convention, he said he was taking on the new assignment with a sense of duty and believed the PDP could rebuild itself. He noted that the party was going through tough times as an opposition party, but he expressed readiness to work with the new national leadership led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki. He explained that the party needed fresh direction and a renewed structure that could earn the trust of Nigerians.

Saturday’s convention went ahead despite court orders that attempted to stop it. While two federal high courts had ruled against holding the event, a High Court in Ibadan gave approval for it to proceed. Delegates attended the convention and elected Kabiru Turaki as national chairman alongside other national officers. The gathering also dissolved the executive councils in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Enugu states as part of wider decisions aimed at reorganising the party.

The crisis in the Akwa Ibom chapter formed part of the backdrop to these decisions. The party had been operating under two different leadership groups after the National Working Committee dissolved the Aniekan Akpan-led executive for working closely with Governor Eno following his defection to the APC. A caretaker committee was installed, and the move split the party in the state, with both sides struggling for control.

The decision taken at the convention reinforced the earlier dissolution and opened another chapter in the ongoing dispute. The issue has taken on added weight ahead of the 2027 elections, especially because Governor Eno had earlier promised not to surrender control of the PDP structure in the state even after leaving the party.

The election of Ini Ememobong as national publicity secretary now places him at the centre of the PDP’s efforts to rebuild, manage internal tensions and present a united front as it prepares for the future.