The Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator (Dr) Akon Eyakenyi, has firmly denied claims circulating on social media that she sponsored a controversial bill before the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly allegedly seeking to criminalise relationships between women and married men.
The denial followed widespread public reactions to a viral message which alleged that the State House of Assembly was set to pass, on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, a bill prohibiting women from sleeping with married men. The same message falsely claimed that the bill was sponsored by the Deputy Governor and prescribed severe penalties for offenders.
According to the viral report, any “young girl, lady or woman” found guilty of engaging in a sexual relationship with a married man would face a 10-year prison sentence without the option of a fine. The man involved, the report alleged, would be required to pay a fine of ₦2 million. The claim triggered widespread debate, outrage, and confusion across Akwa Ibom State and beyond, particularly on social media platforms.
In response, the Office of the Deputy Governor issued an official statement on Monday, categorically rejecting the report as false, misleading, and entirely fabricated. The statement, signed by the Deputy Governor’s Press Secretary, Mr Omen Bassey, described the claim as a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and tarnish the image of Senator Eyakenyi.
“The attention of the Office of the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State has been drawn to a fake social media post falsely claiming that Her Excellency, Senator (Dr) Akon Eyakenyi, Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, sponsored a Bill before the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly,” the statement read.
“For the record, this claim is entirely false and misleading. Her Excellency has not sponsored any Bill in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly or anywhere else, and she is completely unaware of the existence of the purported Bill circulating online.”
The statement explained that the Deputy Governor’s office had been inundated with enquiries from concerned members of the public seeking clarification on the authenticity of the alleged legislation. It stressed that the claim was wrongly attributed to Senator Eyakenyi and had no basis in legislative or executive procedure.
Clarifying the constitutional and administrative processes of lawmaking in Akwa Ibom State, the statement further noted that the Deputy Governor does not possess the authority to independently sponsor bills before the State House of Assembly.
“As a member of the State Executive Council, the Deputy Governor does not have the constitutional power to sponsor Bills in her personal capacity,” the statement explained. “Any executive Bill must first be deliberated upon and approved by the State Executive Council before it can be transmitted to the Legislature by His Excellency, the Governor, or a duly authorised representative.”
The statement emphasised that Senator Eyakenyi has not initiated, proposed, or endorsed any legislation of such nature and has not been briefed on any bill resembling the claims circulating online.
It also pointed out that the alleged bill did not originate from any official communication channel of the Akwa Ibom State Government or the State House of Assembly, further casting doubt on the credibility of the viral message.
“It is noteworthy that the false report did not emanate from the official platforms of either the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly or the Akwa Ibom State Government,” the statement added. “This alone should alert members of the public to the deceptive nature of the information.”
The Office of the Deputy Governor therefore urged residents of Akwa Ibom State and the general public to disregard the report in its entirety and to rely solely on verified government sources for accurate and reliable information.
“Members of the public are strongly advised to ignore this fake news and to always seek information from official and credible government communication channels,” the statement concluded.
The controversy has once again highlighted the growing challenge of misinformation and fake news in Nigeria’s digital space, where unverified claims can rapidly gain traction and provoke public anxiety. Analysts note that the spread of such sensational claims often thrives in the absence of fact-checking and underscores the need for citizens to exercise caution when consuming and sharing information online.
Senator Akon Eyakenyi, a former senator and experienced public administrator, has served in various capacities at both state and federal levels and is widely regarded as an advocate for good governance, social inclusion, and institutional accountability. Observers say the false attribution of the alleged bill to her underscores the reputational damage that misinformation can inflict on public officials.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no confirmation from the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly indicating the existence of any bill resembling the one described in the viral message. Legislative sources have also maintained silence on the matter, further reinforcing the Deputy Governor’s position that the claim is unfounded.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has repeatedly warned against the dangers of spreading unverified information and has encouraged residents to confirm sensitive claims through official channels before drawing conclusions.
With the Deputy Governor’s office issuing a categorical denial, the state government hopes the clarification will put to rest the growing speculation and refocus public discourse on substantive governance and development issues affecting the state.
