Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, on Thursday, declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection bid for a second term in office.
Otong, who represents Abak State Constituency in the 8th Assembly of Akwa Ibom, disclosed this during an interview with reporters on the sidelines of a training workshop organised for the 26-member Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja.
He said that Governor Umo Eno’s statement that Tinubu is doing well should not be misconstrued as an intention to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Otong said: “He (Akwa Ibom governor) is not saying so (defection to APC). He’s saying that he’s supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because of his good works. And he said it’s personal, if you listened very well.
“So if Tinubu is doing very well, we have a leader in Akwa Ibom State who says he is doing very well.
“All of us have said Tinubu is doing very well, and we are going to support Tinubu for his second term, and you know, this second term is just for the South.
“The Northerners have got their eight years, so the South must also have theirs. But Tinubu is doing very well.
“As the Speaker of Akwa Ibom state, there’s no time the governor has brought any loan facility request for us to approve for him.
“So that means the President is doing very well for making sure that the governors in each of the states have a lot of money to manage the state, and that’s why you see peace everywhere.”
On his expectation from the workshop, he said: “If you go through my address, it is about building capacity for us to do better.
“The people are expecting a lot from the legislature. The people who voted you into power are looking for something better. So NILDS is where you have the people that give you the right background, the right things that you need to go and do in your state. That’s why we are here.
“So we are here to build the capacity of the members so that as they are going back, they can legislate very well. They can do very well in the different areas of our committee.”
He also dismissed reports referencing some legislative arms of government in the country as a ‘rubber stamp.’
“I don’t think any legislative arm of government is a rubber stamp. People are seeing our collaboration with the executive.
“We are not going there to fight. We are going to work out modalities that every Nigerian, every Akwa Ibom person, will have food on their table. We are not going there to fight, and no law comes out without a public hearing.
“Then how are we a rubber stamp? The public will be involved in any law that is coming out. The public will be involved in anything that we do in the Houses of Assembly and even the National Assembly.
“So it is just a collaboration with the executive and the legislature so that we come out with something better for the country and the state,” he said.
Earlier, the Director General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, said the two-day workshop with the theme: “Ethics, Privileges, Practice and Procedures for Effective Legislative Performance,” was “both timely and strategic.”
He added: “Its focus on the Committees on Ethics and Privileges and Business and Rules reflects a deep understanding of the vital role these committees play in upholding the integrity, order, and efficiency of legislative work.
“These committees are the custodians of legislative discipline, integrity, and internal practice and procedure. They are the pillars that ensure that legislative work is conducted in line with laid-down procedure, ethical standards.”
He said that the topics for the workshop were carefully selected and are central to the overall performance of any legislature.
“A firm grasp of Standing Orders, for instance, enables members to navigate debates, motions, and other legislative procedures effectively.
“Understanding the scope and limits of legislative privileges helps protect the sanctity of the institution while avoiding abuse.
“Likewise, oversight and committee management are fundamental to ensuring accountability and transparency in governance.
“Let me emphasise that ethics and privileges are not merely matters of procedure, but are also matters of principle.
“They define the moral compass of the legislature and shape public perception of democratic governance. Therefore, your participation in this workshop is not just a statutory responsibility; it is a moral duty.”
