A’Ibom Gov: My daughter’s trending video, political mischief
BY PATRICK WEMAMBU
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State in S’South Nigeria has described the trending video of his daughter – Jane Eddidiong Ufot – accusing him of involvement in the death of his wife as a political mischief by his detractors.
Stating that his family was intact, Eno pleaded with his political detractors to allow his wife’s soul to rest in peace.
The Governor made the remarks Saturday while granting audience to some journalists when he attended the 60th birthday ceremony of a former Deputy Governor of the State, Mr. Nsima Ekere in Uyo.
Said he; “My family is intact. We are in political times and so you can expect more of such. You can see everyone here. The event you are talking about happened immediately my wife passed. That was last year. So why is it surfacing now?
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“And why is it on the eve of our second anniversary that we are celebrating a milestone that we have achieved? This tells me that there are detractors around. So all I can say is that; my family is intact even here; that is Jane herself with her husband. We have a good family.
“The pressure on the children when they lose their loved one was so traumatic and we must know that. All I will appeal to the public is that they should not bring back sad memories. It is enough that I have lost my wife. I pray that they should allow her peaceful soul to rest in peace.”
He, however, pledged to remain focused on the Akwa Ibom mandate given to him without paying attention to distractions from any direction.
“But I cannot be distracted, I remain focused on my decision to serve Akwa Ibom people and I don’t wish what happened to me to should happen to anyone else but the people throwing this around: if that is what they wish for themselves, I wish them luck. But we are intact as a family.
“I believe even in politics, family should be off limits. I don’t think that was anything serious. I am here. We are good,” the governor stressed.
The Daily Times reports that the said video that raised issue about Governor Eno family trended during the second-anniversary celebration of the Governor’s tenure.
The video showed Jane, the second daughter of the governor saying: “My name is Jane Eddidiong Ufot, SSA to the Governor on Health, Safety and Environment. Daddy, I’m sending this post to you alone. Please, let’s talk before this destroys us. I am not a sacrifice. Mummy was – I’m not. I give you a few minutes. If you don’t act, I’ll post this everywhere.”
The next scene showed her speaking to a little girl, saying: “Tell Grandpa, ‘Do you want them to kill us? Do you want us to die like my baby brother died?” And the little girl repeated after her and she shouted in fulfillment and said if she dies or her daughter, their blood will not go down in vain.
It would be recalled that there were controversies even when Governor Umo Eno pronounced his first daughter, Lady Helen Obareki, to assume the responsibilities of the First Lady and continue her mother’s “Golden Initiatives For All” (GIFA) pet project, following the demise of the mother, Mrs. Patience Umo Eno.
Since the passing of his wife on September 26, 2024, due to an undisclosed illness, the state government reported that she died “peacefully at the hospital, surrounded by family.”
In a subsequent move that stirred fresh speculation, Governor Eno appointed his eldest daughter, Lady Helen Obareki, to step into her late mother’s shoes as the symbolic First Lady and lead the Golden Initiatives For All (GIFA) project.
Rumors have since circulated about the existence of a second wife, but the Governor has neither confirmed nor denied the claims.
