Governor Umo Eno announced in Uyo on 6 June 2025 that he was leaving the PDP for the All Progressives Congress, following what he described as three months of consultation with stakeholders across Akwa Ibom State. The governor cited his admiration for President Tinubu's leadership as a key reason for the move. He was received at the Government House by APC governors from the south, including Lagos's Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ogun's Dapo Abiodun and Imo's Hope Uzodinma, in a ceremony that extended the ruling party's presence further into the South-South region.