2027: Ace broadcaster Michael Bush emerges Labour Party governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom

Ace broadcaster and media entrepreneur Michael Bush has emerged as the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the 2027 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State.

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Mr Bush won the party’s governorship primary in Akwa Ibom and was officially declared a candidate on Saturday at the LP secretariat in Uyo.

Kingsley Okundaye, the chairperson of the LP National Electoral Committee for Akwa Ibom State, announced the result, describing the exercise as compliant with the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act and other electoral guidelines.

Mr Bush, founder of Bush House Nigeria, was formerly a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In April, he declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election under the PDP platform, presenting himself as an alternative voice within the party and promising a people-focused administration.

However, he later defected to the Labour Party amid a growing leadership crisis in the PDP.

Running political disagreement

Mr Bush was once a political ally of the governor but their relationship deteriorated in recent months.

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This newspaper in November 2025 reported that Mr Bush accused Governor Eno of “deceiving” Akwa Ibom people with his “Akwa Ibom United” political slogan and demanded an apology from the governor.

He argued that the governor’s actions contradicted his public message of political inclusion.

Mr Bush’s disappointment with Mr Eno came amid growing political tension following the governor’s defection from the PDP to the APC and concerns among some PDP members over the future of the party in the state.

Governor Eno later defended his actions and demanded loyalty from political appointees, warning that those unwilling to align with his government should resign. The warning followed the dismissal of two aides who attended a PDP convention.

At the time, the governor said: “What we will not tolerate is people believing they can be in government and work against the government.”

Bush reacts to emergence as LP candidate

In his first public statement after clinching the LP ticket, Mr Bush thanked the party leadership, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and his supporters.

“My emergence as Labour Party Akwa Ibom State 2027 governorship standard bearer yesterday is an honour, for which I shall be eternally grateful,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.

He also outlined his campaign message. “Our administration shall be about inclusion, about justice, about good governance,” he said.

Mr Bush, however, appeared to renew his criticism of Governor Eno, accusing him of “political panic” and promising to respond aggressively to attacks during the campaign.

“I have already written something you shall soon read, but for this audience, it is not out of place to assure the governor that all through this electioneering, every time he goes low with me or any other opponent, I shall go lower,” he said.

His statement came a day after Governor Eno took a swipe at opposition challengers, saying some of them live in rented apartments but seek to become governor.

“Some of them don’t have a house. They live in a rented apartment and want to become governors. Is that how it works?” he said.

“They should tell me what they’ve done in life that has succeeded. Anything they laid their hands on died,” he said without offering details of what he meant

Mr Bush’s emergence adds a new dimension to the 2027 governorship race as political parties begin positioning for the election in the state.