The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, has provoked public backlash after claiming he alone will determine who in the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be elected to the state assembly in 2027. In a viral video during his 2025 birthday courtesy visit, Otong boasted, “All the 26 House of Assembly tickets are already in my pocket… I will personally choose who becomes a House of Assembly member.”
Otong, representing Abak State Constituency and serving a second term, added that tickets would go to individuals acceptable to Governor Umo Eno. His remarks raised questions over the fairness of party primaries, as it remains unclear whether the governor or APC sanctioned such control. Calls to the state APC chairperson and spokesperson for comments were not returned.
The APC Media Network condemned Otong’s statement as “anti-democratic, provocative, and misleading,” insisting that party candidacies are determined by official APC organs. The group urged him to retract his remarks and called on national leaders to reaffirm that 2027 candidates would be chosen through transparent, competitive processes. Otong also declared his third term as speaker “guaranteed,” citing a biblical analogy to urge supporters not to fear.