akwa ibom speaker.webp
The Digest:

The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, has publicly claimed that the outcome of the 2027 legislative elections is already decided, boasting that he personally holds all 26 assembly tickets and will choose who gets them.

Key Points:
  • Speaker Udeme Otong claimed the 2027 Akwa Ibom House of Assembly election is "already concluded" and that he holds all 26 tickets.
  • In a viral video, he stated, "All the tickets are already in my pocket," and that no one would become a member without his approval.
  • The remarks were made during a birthday visit by a political group to his home in Abak Itenge.
  • Otong suggested the tickets would be given to individuals the governor would be comfortable working with.
  • All 26 assembly members were PDP until June 2025, when 24 defected to the APC alongside Governor Umo Eno.
  • An APC-affiliated media group condemned the comments as "anti-democratic, provocative, and misleading."
  • The group stated that party candidacies are determined by due process, not personal control, and demanded a retraction and apology.
This declaration challenges the very notion of internal party democracy and competitive elections, framing political power as a personally controlled commodity.

Sources: Premium Times, Daily Trust