I made Enang Nigerian ambassador to stop his criticism of Eno – Akpabio

Nigeria’s Senate President Godswill Akpabio says former Senator Ita Enang was appointed Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany after Mr Enang complained he would not stop criticising Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State until he received a political appointment.

Mr Akpabio made the revelation on Sunday while speaking at a special dedication service for the All Progressives Congress 2027 election campaign in Akwa Ibom State.

Recounting what he described as a conversation with Mr Enang, the former Akwa Ibom governor said he had intervened after noticing that the former senator was persistently criticising Mr Eno’s administration.

“Amongst us here is also somebody who used to criticise past governments of Akwa Ibom very, very well. But one day I called him, I told him, ‘this Pastor Umo Eno that God has given us, please stop abusing him,” Mr Akpabio said.

He said Mr Enang replied: “Until you give me something to do, I will not stop.”

Mr Akpabio said he subsequently decided to make Mr Enang Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany.

“So, I decided to send him as ambassador to Germany. So, let me welcome Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Ita Enang in a special way,” he said.

Turning to Mr Eno, Mr Akpabio added: “So, Governor Umo Eno, if there is any other person troubling you, give me the assignment. I will give the person something to do, and he will not talk to you again.”

In the video of the event reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Akpabio introduced Mr Enang as Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany and welcomed him before the audience.

Mr Enang stood up, smiled, and waved to the audience, apparently acknowledging the introduction and the Senate president’s remarks.

The remarks raise questions about whether Mr Enang’s appointment to a diplomatic position was connected to his previous criticisms of the Akwa Ibom governor and the extent of Mr Akpabio’s involvement in securing the appointment.

Previous criticisms, unanswered questions

PREMIUM TIMES notes that Mr Enang had, on several occasions, criticised Mr Eno and his administration before his appointment as ambassador.

However, Mr Akpabio’s account appeared to suggest that the appointment followed a conversation in which Mr Enang connected his continued criticism of the governor to the absence of a political appointment.

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In a media enquiry sent to Mr Enang on Sunday night through WhatsApp and text message, PREMIUM TIMES asked whether Mr Akpabio’s account accurately represented the circumstances surrounding his appointment and whether he had indeed told the Senate president that he would not stop criticising Mr Eno until he was given an appointment.

The newspaper also asked whether his earlier criticisms of the governor stemmed from genuine concerns about the administration’s policies and performance or from political disagreements and grievances over the lack of an appointment.

It further sought to know whether he still stood by those criticisms or whether his assessment of the governor’s administration had changed since becoming an ambassador.

Mr Enang did not respond to the enquiries. He also did not respond to calls from our reporter on Sunday night and Monday morning.

On Monday morning, PREMIUM TIMES sent a separate media enquiry to Eseme Eyiboh, spokesperson for the Senate president.

This newspaper asked whether Mr Akpabio was directly responsible for securing or facilitating Mr Enang’s appointment as ambassador, given that the constitutional authority to appoint ambassadors rests with President Bola Tinubu.

It also asked whether the appointment had any connection to Mr Enang’s criticisms of Mr Eno and whether Mr Akpabio’s account of their conversation accurately reflected the circumstances surrounding the appointment.

Mr Eyiboh had not responded to the enquiry as of the time of filing this report.

Weighing in on the incident, Ewa Okpo, a lawyer and a spokesperson of the PDP faction in Akwa Ibom, said Mr Akpabio’s remarks would be used against Mr Enang in future.

“By standing up to wave to the public in response to the Senate president’s revelation, the ambassador, who is himself a lawyer, has acknowledged and admitted to the veracity of that statement and cannot deny or challenge it tomorrow,” Mr Okpo commented on Facebook.

“The video will speak against him tomorrow should he try anything funny afterwards.”