Akwa Ibom Speaker Udeme Otong Leads 23 Other Lawmakers To Join APC
Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, has announced that 24 out of the 26 members of the House have move to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During plenary session, today, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, Speaker Otong revealed that he had received resignation letters lawmakers who were previously members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The lawmakers, according to the Speaker, cited internal conflicts within the National Working Committee of the PDP as the reason for their departure.
At first, he did not address the status of the remaining two members, who have yet to declare their positions regarding the defection, nor did he clarify whether he is among the 24 members.
He later announced that the House Leader, Hon. Sunday Johnny, of ONNA state constituency, is now part of the minority PDP in the House and should therefore step down from his previous role.
In Johnny’s place, Speaker Otong appointed the Chief Whip, Effiong Johnson of Mbo State Constituency, as the Acting Leader of the House until a new leader is selected.
According to sources within the Assembly, Hon. Johnny and Engr. Uduak Ekpo-Ufot, the representative for Etinan state constituency have both decided to stick with the PDP.
Recently, a wave of prominent figures—including members of the state Executive Council, federal and state lawmakers, local government chairmen, councillors, and political aides—led by Governor Umo Eno, all made a progressive movement from the PDP to the APC.
During a Grand Rally for new APC members on Saturday, Governor Eno explained that his decision to join the All Progressives Congress was partly aimed at strategically aligning the state with the federal government under President Bola Tinubu and to facilitate the actualisation of key projects like the Ibom Deep Seaport.
