List of governors of Akwa Ibom State

Akwa Ibom State, located in the South South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, has undergone a layered political evolution shaped by colonial administration, military regimes, and democratic transitions. The territory was originally part of the Eastern Region until the military government dissolved Nigeria's regional structure in 1967. Following the reorganisation, the area became part of the newly created South-Eastern State on 27 May 1967. The South-Eastern State, comprising present-day Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, remained under military rule until Nigeria's brief civilian transition in 1979. In 1976, under the Murtala Mohammed administration, South-Eastern State was renamed Cross River State.

For over a decade, the region that would become Akwa Ibom was administered as part of Cross River State. The military government of Ibrahim Babangida created Akwa Ibom State on 23 September 1987, carving it out from the southeastern portion of Cross River State. Upon its creation, Akwa Ibom was governed by military administrators, starting with Tunde Ogbeha (1987–1988), followed by Godwin Abbe (1988–1990), and Idongesit Nkanga (1990–1992). Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in the short-lived Third Republic saw Akpan Isemin of the National Republican Convention (NRC) become the state’s first elected civilian governor in January 1992. His administration was ended by the military coup of November 1993, after which the state reverted to military rule under administrators like Yakubu Bako, Joseph Adeusi, and John Ebiye.

The dawn of the Fourth Republic in 1999 ushered in an era of uninterrupted democratic governance in Akwa Ibom. Victor Attah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) became governor and served two terms from 1999 to 2007. He was succeeded by Godswill Akpabio (2007–2015). Akpabio's successor, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, also of the PDP, served from 2015 to 2023. In 2023, Umo Bassey Eno, also a PDP candidate, was elected governor and is the incumbent.