Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has unveiled one of his cabinet members, Pastor Umo Eno, as the preferred candidate to succeed him.

Governor Emmanuel unveiled Eno on Sunday evening during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders’ meeting held at the Governor’s Lodge, in Uyo, the state capital.

Although the meeting was held behind closed doors, Channels Television reliably gathered that a former Governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah was also at the event and after Governor Emmanuel’s endorsement he made the formal presentation of Pastor Eno to the Stakeholders.

Pastor Eno is the Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources. He appreciated Governor Emmanuel for finding him worthy to be his successor as Akwa Ibom Governor.

He was appointed commissioner in January 2021. Before then, he was running a hotel in Eket and doing food supplies to Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited.

Prelate Emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Sunday Mbang and Bishop Uma Ukpai at the event prayed for his success, a sentiment that was re-echoed by the Oku Ibom Ibibio and Chairman of State Council of Chiefs, Ntenyin Solomon Etuk.

Other top political chieftains from the three Senatorial Districts present at the meeting applauded the choice and pledged to work towards his emergence as the Governor of the State in the forthcoming 2023 election.

Other stakeholders at the meeting include the Deputy Governor, Moses Ekpo; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Aniekan Bassey; Senators Akon Eyakenyi, Effiong Bob, Ibok Essien, and Aloysius Etok.

Others include former Deputy Governor, Etim Okpoyo; Member, representing Etinan Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Onofiok Luke; PDP Party Chairman, Aniekan Akpan; Emmanuel Enoidem, the National Coordinator of the Maintain Peace Movement, (MPM) Pat Ifon; Member representing Eket Federal Constituency at the National Assembly and Member, PDP BOT, Nduese Essien, a former Minister of Housing, Ambassador Assam Assam, among others.