Emmanuel Nicholas
The political architecture of Akwa Ibom State, since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999, has demonstrated a discernible inclination toward the inclusion of women within the higher echelons of governance.
This disposition is not merely rhetorical but is substantiated by a consistent pattern of appointments and electoral victories that have elevated women to positions of substantive authority.
The assertion that Akwa Ibom’s political environment has been fair to women finds empirical resonance in the history of female participation across the executive, legislative, and administrative strata of the state.
Governor Umo Eno, PhD, has, in an exemplar of progressive statesmanship, advanced the frontier of gender inclusion by allocating forty five percent of executive appointments to women within his cabinet, while ensuring that women constitute nearly half of the Permanent Secretary cadre in the state civil service.
He further allocated 83 percent of the vice chairmanship positions to women across the thirty-one local government areas, while mandating that no council shall fall short of a fifty percent quota for women among its supervisory councillors.
This deliberate policy transcends mere tokenistic representation and constitutes a structural reconfiguration of the state’s administrative ethos.
Through embedding women at the strategic apex of policy formulation and bureaucratic implementation, the administration not only rectifies historical underrepresentation but also harnesses the diverse competencies, perspectives, and governance acumen that women bring to public service.
The near-parity in the Permanent Secretary cadre is particularly significant, as it ensures that the machinery of government ,responsible for translating political directives into actionable programmes ,is increasingly gender-balanced, thereby fostering a more responsive, equitable, and socially attuned public administration in Akwa Ibom State.
Historically, the office of the Secretary to the State Government and that of the Head of Civil Service have constituted the apex of the state’s bureaucratic hierarchy. It is noteworthy that Akwa Ibom has, at various junctures, entrusted these pivotal offices to women of proven competence.
From Senator Godswill Akpabio (GCON) he appointed Mrs Grace Awana for six years before retirement, the Government of His Excellency Deacon Udom appointed Mrs. Ekerebong Akpan as Head of Civil Service and, more recently, Governor Umo Eno PhD appointed Mrs. Elsie Anietie Peters to the same office in November 2024, it showcase a deliberate policy of meritocratic inclusion that transcends tokenism.
The executive branch has equally manifested this inclusive ethos. During the administration of Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, the state witnessed the historic appointment of Her Excellency, Lady Valerie Ebe, as Deputy Governor.
This precedent was not an isolated gesture but a harbinger of a more enduring pattern. In the present dispensation, Senator Dr. Akon Eyakenyi serves as Deputy Governor to Pastor Umo Basset Eno, a position recently affirmed by the Senate President for another four-year term, thereby consolidating female representation at the very pinnacle of the state’s executive authority.
An analytical examination of Akwa Ibom’s contribution to female representation in the National Assembly further corroborates this claim. Since 1999, the state has produced women who have distinguished themselves in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Senator Eme Ufot Ekaette, who represented Akwa Ibom South in the 6th Assembly 2007–2011, brought to the Senate a wealth of experience garnered as Nigeria’s former Minister of Women Affairs.
She was succeeded by Senator Helen U. Esuene, who represented the same senatorial district in the 7th Assembly 2011–2015. Their successive tenures reflect not only party confidence but also constituent trust in female leadership.
The trend continued with Senator Akon Etim Eyakenyi, who represented Akwa Ibom South in the 9th Assembly 2019–2023. Prior to her senatorial service, she had served as a Federal Minister and subsequently as Deputy Governor, illustrating the state’s practice of grooming women for higher responsibility.
In the House of Representatives, Akwa Ibom has equally recorded notable female participation. Rt. Hon. Owoidighe Ekpoatai represented the Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency in the 8th Assembly 2015–2019.
Her presence in the lower chamber expanded the scope of female legislative engagement beyond the senatorial district level, thereby diversifying the gendered geography of representation.
At the sub-national level, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has maintained a consistent, albeit incremental, record of female membership since 1999. The 8th Assembly 2023–2027 currently boasts four women: Rt. Hon. Selong Precious Akamba of Urue Offong/Oruko, Hon. Dr. Itorobong Francis Etim of Uruan, Hon. Onofiok Kenim Victor of Oron/Udung Uko, and Hon. Ukpatu Selinah Isotuk of Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo.
This represents a doubling of female membership from the two women who served in the 7th Assembly 2019–2023.
The 7th Assembly itself was significant, with Rt. Hon. Felicia Bassey representing Okobo Constituency for eight years and rising to the position of Deputy Speaker, a role that conferred upon her substantial legislative influence. Alongside her served Hon. Dr. Charity Ido of Ukanafun Constituency. Earlier, Hon. Serah Suny Elijah represented Nsit Atai 2011–2015, and Hon. Sarah Esit Ikot represented Nsit Ibom following the demise of her husband, demonstrating the fusion of political legacy and electoral agency.
Even in the earlier administrations, women were not absent from the legislative chamber. Hon. Iniobong represented Etinan State Constituency during the administration of Obong Victor Attah, confirming that female participation predates the current political dispensation and is embedded within the state’s democratic evolution.
The executive council under the present administration has further institutionalized this inclusivity.
The Umo Eno administration 2023,present has appointed women to critical ministries, thereby ensuring that gender considerations inform policy formulation and implementation. Princess Ini Adiakpan continues as Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, a portfolio she first assumed under Gov. Udom Emmanuel in August 2020 and was reappointed in July 2023.
Dr. Offiong Offor serves as Commissioner for Agriculture from Ini LGA, while Mrs. Inibehe Silas Etukudo, Princess Emem Ibanga of Nsit Atai, and Rt. Hon. Alice Ekpenyong of Oro Nation were nominated and confirmed in the 2023 cabinet reshuffle. Mrs. Enobong Mbobo also holds a commissioner portfolio, reflecting a deliberate spread of female appointees across key sectors of governance.
This pattern was prefigured in the Udom Emmanuel administration 2015–2023, where Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet served as Commissioner for Education Monitoring from October 2020, and Dr. Glory Edet served as Commissioner for Agriculture.
The recurrence of names such as Princess Ini Adiakpan and Mrs. Enobong Mbobo across successive administrations indicates a policy of retaining tested female administrators rather than substituting them for political expediency.
As of the Oct 2024 local government elections in Akwa Ibom, 5 women were elected as Local Government Chairpersons out of the 31 LGAs.
Here are the names from the official list:
1. Mrs. Otobong Akpan– Nsit Ibom LGA
2. Mrs. Ime Effiong Charles* – Abak LGA
3. Mrs. Otobong Essien – Ikono LGA
4. Mrs. Uduak Ikemesit Ikot– Esit Eket LGA
5. Mrs. Glory Ekah – Ibeno LGA
– This followed Governor Umo Eno’s directive that every LGA must have a female Vice Chairman, which resulted in 26 of the 31 vice chairmanship slots going to women.
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The present administration in Akwa Ibom State today, over 47 percent of women serves as Councilors across the various wards.
Quantitatively, the present administration has committed to over 45 percent inclusion of women in the executive council, a figure that surpasses the 35 percent national affirmative action benchmark and positions Akwa Ibom as one of the leading states in sub-national gender mainstreaming.
This is not merely numerical representation but a qualitative allocation of women to ministries with substantial budgetary and policy weight.
Analytically, this sustained inclusion can be attributed to three interlocking factors: the political will of successive governors, the organizational strength of women’s political networks within the state APC structure, and the electorate’s increasing receptivity to female candidacy.
Unlike states where women are confined to peripheral roles, Akwa Ibom has allowed women to occupy portfolios in agriculture, education, rural development, and finance, thereby integrating gender perspectives into core governance functions.
In my conclusion,Akwa Ibom State’s political environment has, by empirical measure, been comparatively fair to women. From the deputy governorship to the Senate, from the Head of Civil Service to the State House of Assembly, women have been afforded platforms to legislate, administrate, and execute policy.
While challenges of structural patriarchy and intra-party competition persist, the trajectory since 1999 reveals a state that has progressively transformed rhetorical commitment to gender equity into tangible institutional practice.
