Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has dismissed as false, misleading and completely unfounded a viral social media claim suggesting that lawmakers are planning to criminalise sexual relationships with married men.
The Assembly described the report, which gained traction across Facebook and other platforms, as a fabrication with no legislative backing.
This clarification was contained in a statement issued on Monday in Uyo and signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Mr Jerry Otu.
Otu said the viral claim, allegedly shared by a Facebook user identified as Obiavel Albert Abigo, falsely alleged that a bill sponsored by the Deputy Governor, Sen. Akon Eyakenyi, sought to impose a 10-year jail term on women involved in such relationships, alongside a ₦2 million fine for men.
Reacting to the report, Otu said:
> “The attention of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has been drawn to a fabricated report circulating on social media, alleging that the House is set to pass a bill criminalising sexual relationships with married men.”
He categorically dismissed the allegation, stressing that no such proposal exists before the legislature.
> “The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly wishes to categorically state that this report is entirely false and has no basis in fact.”
According to him, the Assembly has neither received nor deliberated on any bill of that nature.
> “The Assembly has not received or considered any such bill, and the Deputy Governor has not sponsored it.”
Otu further condemned what he described as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and smear the image of the state government.
> “We condemn this malicious attempt to tarnish the image of the Deputy Governor and the Assembly, and urge the public to disregard this fake news and any associated commentaries,” he said.
The Information Committee chairman reaffirmed that the House remains focused on its constitutional responsibilities and will not be distracted by what he termed mischievous misinformation aimed at undermining its integrity.
He urged residents of the state to rely on credible sources for legislative information and to verify claims before sharing them online.
