Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, and his supporters who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress that they will not regret joining the ruling party.

Speaking on Saturday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, during a grand reception held in honour of the governor, Shettima said the APC was not just a political party but a “family driven by principles and loyalty.”

“Mr President asked me to assure you personally: no one will question your place here. This party is your home. You will not be humiliated. You will not be forsaken,” the vice president said.

Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event, praised the President as “a bridge-builder and inveterate democrat,” stressing that his sacrifices over the years had sustained Nigeria’s democracy.

“Few figures in our national history have given as much and demanded so little in return. Long before the drumbeats of democracy returned to Nigeria, he offered his resources to sustain the struggle,” he added.

He noted that the APC was “not a party of vanity metrics or media hype,” but a platform that rewards merit and remains resilient despite predictions of collapse.

In his address, Eno said the decision to join the APC was in the best interest of Akwa Ibom State, explaining that the move aligns with his commitment to support President Tinubu’s economic and infrastructure reforms.

“My progressive state movement is predicated on enlightened state interest—to support Mr President and finish the bold and audacious economic reforms he has started,” Eno stated.

He added that joining the APC would enhance the state’s development goals, including the long-delayed Deep Sea Port project, which he said has been on the drawing board for three decades.

National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, also welcomed the governor, describing the large crowd as “intimidating and organic.”

“National unity leads to national development, national development leads to national integration and ultimately leads to national prosperity,” Ganduje said.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio lauded the Vice President, describing him as “the most intelligent and a man of integrity,” while calling the event “a movement, not a mere defection.”

Akpabio assured that with the zone’s renewed alignment with the federal government, major projects like the Deep Sea Port would receive attention.

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, who also chairs the Progressive Governors Forum, commended Governor Eno for joining “the moving train” and assured that President Tinubu was focused on economic reforms, infrastructure, and national security.

“Mr President does not need distraction at the moment. He needs committed partners across the states,” Uzodimma said.

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State described the event as “a turning point” for the South-South, noting that it marked the region’s realignment with the center.

“There was a time I felt like an orphan in the South-South, but today the Renewed Hope Agenda has been birthed in this land,” he declared.