•Exposés records of their betrayal of public trust
A socio political group in Akwa Ibom State, Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement, AILM has alerted Akwa Ibom people against the political antics of Conference of Former Speakers of Akwa Ibom State Legislatures in Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Wing, describing members of the group as political profiteers in Akwa Ibom State who failed to speak for the interest of the common people in Akwa Ibom State.
AILM made this known in their press release signed by its National Coordinator, Akparawa Prince Emmanuel Sam.
Part of the release read: “We have observed with shock the news making the rounds that a group of political profiteers in Akwa Ibom State under the disguise of Conference of Former Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Branch, gathered to adopt President Bola Tinubu, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Governor Umo Eno ahead of 2027 general election.”
AILM berated Conference of Former Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Wing for failing to speak in support of core development issues in Akwa Ibom State but games gathered to endorse politicians ahead of 2027 election.
“We are suspicious of the motive of this group of politicians with some members whom since their exit from office have been racking their mental archives to device new means of satisfying their vaulting desire to remain relevant in politics. Hence, we wish to remind Akwa Ibom people that these same politicians converging today as Conference of Former Speakers State Legislatures of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Wing, have failed in many instances to lend any patriotic voice to core issues of development and progress of the good people of Akwa Ibom State.”
AILM in their press statement further said: “Therefore, Akwa Ibom people should not allow former legislators, whom during their days as Speakers in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, lacked the courage to speak the truth to power and had failed to stand in the gap for the common people of Akwa Ibom State to influence their political support and voting in 2027 election.”
“We wish to remind Akwa Ibom people that till date, Akwa Ibom State Youth Development Fund Bill which seeks to create a dedicated funding mechanism for youth development programmes and create opportunities for Akwa Ibom youths has been denied assent by the executive arm of government in Akwa Ibom State since 2019, yet for half a decade a group as Conference of Former Speakers in Akwa Ibom State has failed to speak for Akwa Ibom youths by calling on the incumbent governor to give assent to the bill.” The group added
AILM also recalled in their press release that : “It is also on record that this same legislators during their days in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly had failed to legislate to protect the weaker segment of our population by their refusal to adopt and demosticate the Disability Act of 2018 which Prohibits Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities.
“Again, we wish to remind Akwa Ibom people that it was these legislators that conspired with the executive arm of government under Chief Godswill Akpabio to pass the obnoxious Pension Bill 2014 into law. Till date, they have failed to heed to the voice of conscience to call for a review of the law which mandates the State to pay former governors and their deputies a severance gratuity of 300 per cent of annual basic salary as at the time they leave office, provide N6.7million for each of them as furniture allowance once in every four years. And also provides for a former governor a sum not exceeding N5 million per month to employ domestic staff while the deputy gets N2.5 million for the same purpose.”
The release went further to observed that: “Furthermore, it is these law makers who passed into law the controversial Traditional Rulers Law, Cap. 155, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2022 (as amended) and then turned to watch in silence as the office of the President General of the Council of Traditional Rulers was stripped of the relevance which the law sought to give the traditional stool in the State.”
“Interestingly, we call on Akwa Ibom people to question these politicians why they failed in their communique to mention or at least commend one of their members Hon. Aniekan Akpan, now a Senator, who was conspicuously present in that meeting but chose to endorse and adopt Sen. Godswill Obot Akpabio as their sole candidate for 2027 Ikot Ekpene Senatorial election which 80 percent of members in that group are not from and lack the constitutional right to influence the choice of the people in that Senatorial District.”
“Akwa Ibom people are familiar with the truth that any of these politicians cannot win any election on their own in their constituency, hence the reason for their new political antics ahead of 2027 election which they cannot escape the scathe of their looming failure.
We leave the good people of Akwa Ibom State to descend and distinguish between honest sentiment and political stagecraft of these career politicians in our land,” The release read.
The Guide Newspaper reports that Conference of Former Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Branch gathered at D’Angelo Hotel, Uyo, on October 30, 2025, to adopt President Bola Tinubu, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Governor Umo Eno as their sole candidates for respective offices ahead of 2027 general election.
Full Statement Below 👇
PRESS STATEMENT
2027 Election: The Emergence of Old Political Hawks With New Feathers
We have observed with shock the news making the rounds that a group of political profiteers in Akwa Ibom State under the disguise of Conference of Former Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Branch, gathered to adopt President Bola Tinubu, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Governor Umo Eno ahead of 2027 general election.
It is ridiculous that Akwa Ibom people are hearing for the first time that such a group exists in the State.
We are suspicious of the motive of this group of politicians with some members whom since their exit from office have been racking their mental archives to device new means of satisfying their vaulting desire to remain relevant in politics. Hence, we wish to remind Akwa Ibom people that these same politicians converging today as Conference of Former Speakers State Legislatures of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Wing, have failed in many instances to lend any patriotic voice to core issues of development and progress of the good people of Akwa Ibom State.
Therefore, Akwa Ibom people should not allow former legislators, whom during their days as Speakers in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, lacked the courage to speak the truth to power and had failed to stand in the gap for the common people of Akwa Ibom State to influence their political support and voting in 2027 election.
We wish to remind Akwa Ibom people that till date, Akwa Ibom State Youth Development Fund Bill which seeks to create a dedicated funding mechanism for youth development programmes and create opportunities for Akwa Ibom youths has been denied assent by the executive arm of government in Akwa Ibom State since 2019, yet for half a decade a group as Conference of Former Speakers in Akwa Ibom State has failed to speak for Akwa Ibom youths by calling on the incumbent governor to give assent to the bill.
•It is also on record that this same legislators during their days in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly had failed to legislate to protect the weaker segment of our population by their refusal to adopt and demosticate the Disability Act of 2018 which Prohibits Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities.
Again, we wish to remind Akwa Ibom people that it was these legislators that conspired with the executive arm of government under Chief Godswill Akpabio to pass the obnoxious Pension Bill 2014 into law. Till date, they have failed to heed to the voice of conscience to call for a review of the law which mandates the State to pay former governors and their deputies a severance gratuity of 300 per cent of annual basic salary as at the time they leave office, provide N6.7million for each of them as furniture allowance once in every four years. And also provides for a former governor a sum not exceeding N5 million per month to employ domestic staff while the deputy gets N2.5 million for the same purpose.
Furthermore, it is these law makers who passed into law the controversial Traditional Rulers Law, Cap. 155, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2022 (as amended) and then turned to watch in silence as the office of the President General of the Council of Traditional Rulers was stripped of the relevance which the law sought to give the traditional stool in the State.
Interestingly, we call on Akwa Ibom people to question these politicians why they failed in their communique to mention or at least commend one of their members Hon. Aniekan Akpan, now a Senator, who was conspicuously present in that meeting but chose to endorse and adopt Sen. Godswill Obot Akpabio as their sole candidate for 2027 Ikot Ekpene Senatorial election which 80 percent of members in that group are not from and lack the constitutional right to influence the choice of the people in that Senatorial District.
Akwa Ibom people are familiar with the truth that any of these politicians cannot win any election on their own in their constituency, hence the reason for their new political antics ahead of 2027 election which they cannot escape the scathe of their looming failure.
We leave the good people of Akwa Ibom State to descend and distinguish between honest sentiment and political stagecraft of these career politicians in our land.
Signed:
Akparawa Prince Emmanuel Sam,
National Coordinator,
Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement, AILM
31st October, 2025.
