“26 tickets of AKHA members are in my pocket,” Otong boasts
* Says Nobody Else Can Produce AKHA Member Under His Watch
* Udeme Otong needs mental examination — Netizen
By The Guide Newspaper
In what political pundits describe as an unusual affront against Senator Godswill Akpabio, Governor Umo Eno and other APC stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State, the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Udeme Otong has made a hasty boast that no body else in Akwa Ibom State has the right to choose any candidate to run for Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly seat in 2027 election across the 31 Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State without his approval.
Elder Udeme Otong made this boast while addressing members of Ibom Grassroots Development Initiative (IGDI) in his country home during his birthday celebration which took place during the week.
The Speaker Otong further declared that tickets meant for the next set of 26 House of Assembly members are inside his pocket as he is the one to decide who should be given ticket.
According to him, “All the 26 House of Assembly tickets are already in my pocket, intact. I will be the one to share them to other local government constituencies. I made the negotiations. No one else did. I will personally choose who becomes a House of Assembly member and hand the ticket to the person from my pocket”.
“I am the one to decide who will be given ticket in 2027. I will be the one to share House of Assembly tickets to other local government areas. If I see somebody who will come to give Governor trouble, I will tell him that ticket should not be given to such a person,” Otong said.
Assuring his supporters about the possibility of him winning APC ticket and general election to represent Abak State Constituency for a third term in 2027 –a development that has never taken place in the history of representation in the local government–Elder Udeme Otong boasted of his political prowess to win election and encouraged his kinsmen not to worry about his third term as 2027 election will be the “cheapest” election ever.
Speaking further he said, “Election is a contest. I contested in 2019 with everyone and won. They contested against me again in 2023 from all clans, and I defeated them. They will always contest, from Afahaobong clan, midim clan and even Abak clan but I will always win.”
“This third term I am going, I didn’t even want it, but he (refering to Governor Eno) told me to join the race that he will work with me till he finish his tenure and hand over to whoever we have both agreed to give. Is it that one that you should be worry about? Just go and sleep, don’t worry yourselves, my third-term election will be the freest, cheapest and most successful. Before 12 noon, the election will be over, ” he added.
Reacting to the boast by Elder Udeme Otong, one of the Facebook users Aniekan Udofia said leaders in Nigeria need mental examination.
