The Offot Ukwa Clan 2027 Mandate Group has asserted its right to represent Uyo state constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, citing the zoning and rotation formula that has guided the constituency’s representation for years.
According to the group’s Central Coordinator, Hon Asuquo Ekpenyong, “2027 is the turn of Offot Ukwa clan to produce the representative of the state constituency in the House of Assembly, and we believe it would be in the best interest of peace and stability for the Offot Ukwa clan to represent Uyo state constituency.”
In a press conference held in Uyo, the group argues that Offot Ukwa clan is the largest and most populous of the four clans in Uyo Local Government Area, with four and a half out of eleven wards and over 50% of the total number of registered voters.
They stated that despite their electoral strength, the clan has waited patiently for twelve years, supporting other clans to take their turns in representing Uyo state constituency in the House of Assembly even for two terms each.
Hon Ekpenyong emphasized that “it would be counterproductive for anyone outside Offot Ukwa clan to contest the election.”
He also urged the incumbent member representing Uyo state constituency to abandon his reported ambition for a second term, saying “it will be inconsistent with his past stance on this issue for him to now seek to truncate the zoning and rotation formula that has brought him to where he is today.”
The group dismissed the argument that the incumbent should be allowed to serve a second term to enable Uyo to produce a principal or presiding officer of the House of Assembly, pointing out that first-timers have been elected to such positions in the past.
“History has shown that first-timers can be elected as presiding officers of the House of Assembly,” Hon Ekpenyong said.
The Offot Ukwa Clan 2027 Mandate Group therefore appealed to the APC leadership in Akwa Ibom State, including Governor Umo Eno and Senator Godswill Akpabio, to support their just cause and advise political actors in the constituency to respect the zoning and rotation formula.
They also urged men and women of good conscience in Uyo Local Government Area to join their quest for justice, equity, and fairness, saying “fairness and equity demand that each clan should have an equal chance to represent Uyo state constituency in the House of Assembly, and Offot Ukwa clan should not be denied its rightful turn come next election circle.”
