By N.T.A. Efo
For Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, faith is not a political accessory.It is a defining part of his identity and the foundation upon which he builds his life, leadership and public service.
That explains why, on Sunday, November 1, 2026, he chose the International Christian Worship Centre, Uyo, to begin his 2027 re-election campaign.
Before unveiling political strategies, mobilising structures or setting the machinery of electioneering in motion, he first took the journey before God.
It was a deliberate statement of faith by a man who proudly carries the title of Pastor and whose Christian calling remains central to his public identity.
Explaining the decision, Governor Eno said “We deliberately chose to begin this journey in the House of God because we understand that there is a God who rules in the affairs of men. We may have our plans, strategies, structures and human credibility, but ultimately, it is God who directs the affairs of life and determines the outcome of every endeavour.”
Referencing Proverbs 3:5-6, he prayed that God would direct their paths, go before them and order their steps.
Anchoring the service on the theme, “We Are Well Able,” drawn from the Bible book of Numbers 13:30, he declared: “We are well able, because God is able.”
He, however, cautioned that being well able does not mean independence from God, but recognising our dependence on Him.
For Governor Eno, this was not about asking God to endorse a political arrangement. It was rather about surrendering the journey to divine direction.
To understand the depth of this conviction, one must go back to 1980.
At a homecoming thanksgiving service at Maboju Assembly of The Apostolic Church Nigeria (TACN), Ikeja, Lagos, Governor Eno recalled an extraordinary experience from his youthful days as a member of the church.
He narrated how a young girl in the prayer band gave a prophecy concerning his future. The young girl had been led by the spirit of God to say: “Umo Bassey, for your labour of love, for everything you are doing, I will return you back to your homeland, and you’ll be a governor of your people.”
The young Umo Eno, then a student at Victory College, Ikeja, was uncomfortable with the prophecy. Considering their circumstances and the burdens of life, he questioned its possibility and decided to leave the prayer meeting.
When his mother returned home and asked why he had not come back, he explained his reservations.
But his mother, a committed woman of prayer, gave him an answer that would remain with him for decades: “Mbakara, every vision is for an appointed time.”
Fifteen years later, Governor Eno returned to Akwa Ibom and established his hospitality business, Royalty Hotel, in Eket. Interestingly, he named its conference room EXCO Chambers and assumed the title of Governor rather than the conventional designation of Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer.
Then came January 31, 2022, when Governor Udom Emmanuel presented him to stakeholders and political leaders as his preferred successor. Governor Eno acknowledged Emmanuel as the instrument God used to fulfil the prophecy.
Returning to Maboju Assembly with his family for thanksgiving, he described the experience as a return to Bethel, drawing parallels with Jacob’s return to the place of his encounter with God.
He made a profound observation: “When a child forgets the blessings of yesterday, he forfeits and forgoes the blessings of tomorrow.”
His testimony carried a simple message, that God’s promises may not follow man’s timetable, but every vision has an appointed time, like his mother told him the day of the prophesy.
The culture of prayer in Akwa Ibom governance, however, predates Governor Eno.
Obong Victor Attah introduced solemn assemblies and private worship in the Government House chapel. His successor, now Senate President Godswill Akpabio, sustained the tradition through prayer meetings, solemn assemblies and participation in church services across the state. It was during Akpabio’s administration that the popular refrain, “What if we were not praying?” became an official policy linked with the state’s political and spiritual culture.Governor Udom Emmanuel equally maintained the tradition of prayer meetings, solemn assemblies and worship services at Government House.
Governor Eno has not only sustained and expanded this heritage but has taken it a nodge higher apparently because he is an ordained priest.
On March 19, 2023, after winning the governorship elections, he dedicated “the victory to God for the grace he has shown me; for the strength to carry on in the face of the challenges and for the inner peace to keep moving with my eyes clearly set on the ball and not to be distracted. To that same God be all the glory.”
In his inaugural address at his swearing in as Governor, God took centre stage again. From the beginning of the speech, it was God.
The opening sentence, after the nuances of protocols, read:I stand here as a product of God’s awesome grace, a testament of His enduring love, and as an instrument of blessings in His steady and dependable Hands. I therefore, dedicate this day to the Almighty God.
In the speech, God “appeared” 15 times, and, as Lord three times, and as a third-person singular pronoun, He, severally.
At some points in the speech, he quoted three Bible passages, one of which was Luke chapter 1, verses 46 to 50, to magnify God: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour, for He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.”
Three years and after, the Pastor Governor is still a pastor Governor.
Since assuming office, he has maintained regular Government House chapel services and monthly covenant services at the Banquet Hall, providing opportunities for thanksgiving and prayers for the state.
He also established a Christian Leaders Advisory Council, headed by Archbishop Joseph Ekuwem of the Catholic Church, bringing Christian leaders together across denominational boundaries.
The completion of the International Christian Worship Centre and the appointment of Pastor I.N. George of the Apostolic Church as its administrator further underscores his administration’s engagement with the Christian community.
As leader of All Nations Christian Ministry International, Governor Eno deliberately retains the title of Under Shepherd, acknowledging Jesus Christ as the Chief Shepherd.His pastoral identity has not changed with political office.
The annual Christmas Carol remains part of the state’s calendar, while the Easter Service of Hymns has added another religious and tourism attraction. His administration has also supported evangelical meetings, crusades, Christian musical programmes and youth-focused religious activities.
On June 1, 2026, his administration commenced a three-day Prayer Summit themed “The God of Awesome Wonders” to usher in the fourth year of his first term, just as he has done in the other years preceding the beginning of a new year of his administration.
Preaching at the summit, Pastor Simeon Afolabi referenced John 15:5, which declares that without Christ, believers can do nothing, and Psalm 127:1: “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”He also emphasised the need to protect the throne through prayers against negative influences.
At the summit, like in previous ones, Governor Eno participated as one of the officials of government seeking divine direction and wisdom for the next phase of governance.
His personal testimony has always been consistent with this approach.
At his second anniversary thanksgiving service, he introduced a song that captured his understanding of God’s intervention.
“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side…,” he sang.
The chorus asks:
“If it had not been the Lord, Where would I be?/ If it had not been the Lord Who was on my side?”
Governor Eno recalled how God’s presence had sustained him through difficult waters, protected him through the fire and given him the strength to continue the work of governance without becoming weary.
For him, however, faith does not replace the responsibility to govern, plan, build and deliver public services. Rather, he sees divine guidance as an essential complement to human effort.
His administration’s ARISE Agenda 1.0 covers 17 focal sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, education, housing, tourism, infrastructure, aviation, rural development and entrepreneurial development.
There is none of these sectors he has not left indelible marks on the sands of development.
Therefore, beginning his 2027 campaign in church becomes clearer when viewed against the background I have laid: the 1980 prophecy, his mother’s reassuring words, his return to Bethel, his pastoral calling and three years of publicly expressed dependence on God.
For a man who describes himself as an Under Shepherd serving under the Chief Shepherd who is Jesus Christ our Lord, the message is unmistakable, that before the campaign goes to the people, it must first go before God.
Above all, he believes that the God who began the journey is the same God who has sustained it, and who has made him and his campaign team profess that they are well able to surmount any untoward circumstances on the way to Victory in 2027.