The Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator (Dr) Akon Eyakenyi, has dismissed as false reports circulating online that she sponsored a controversial bill before the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
In a statement issued by her Press Secretary, Omen Bassey, the Deputy Governor described the claims as misleading and completely untrue, saying they had been wrongly attributed to her office.
The clarification followed a wave of enquiries from members of the public after a message went viral on social media alleging that the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly was set to pass a law on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, criminalising women who engage in relationships with married men.
According to the viral claim, the proposed bill, allegedly sponsored by Senator Eyakenyi would sentence any “young girl, lady or woman” caught sleeping with a married man to 10 years’ imprisonment without an option of fine, while the man involved would be fined N2 million.
Reacting to the development, the Deputy Governor’s office said it had received multiple enquiries regarding “a certain bill purportedly pending before the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and falsely credited to the Deputy Governor as the initiator or sponsor.”
The statement firmly rejected the claim, stressing that Senator Eyakenyi had no knowledge of such a bill and had not sponsored any legislation.
“Her Excellency, Senator (Dr) Akon Eyakenyi has not sponsored any bill in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly or anywhere else, and she is not even aware of the existence of the said bill,” the statement said.
It further explained that, by law, the Deputy Governor does not have the authority to independently sponsor bills.
“As a member of the State Executive Council, the Deputy Governor cannot personally sponsor a bill. Any executive bill must first be discussed and approved by the Council before it can be transmitted to the Legislature by the Governor or an authorised representative,” the statement noted.
The Deputy Governor’s office 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.
Members of the public were therefore urged to ignore the viral message and rely only on verified government sources for accurate and credible information.
