Youths from Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State have rejected any plan by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to grant an automatic ticket for the Akwa Ibom South Senate seat. During a peaceful protest held Friday at the Ikot Abasi council headquarters, young people from Mkpat Enin, Eastern Obolo, and Ikot Abasi local governments demanded open primaries and a fair democratic process. They carried placards with messages including "We would choose our leaders," "No automatic ticket for a senator that is not performing," and "Open primaries will bring more support for APC." The youths expressed support for Governor Pastor Umo Eno's second-term bid and President Bola Tinubu's re-election, while affirming their alignment with the Eket senatorial district's decision on candidate selection. Youth leader Ayan Richard praised stakeholders for opening the Eket Senatorial District race to all qualified aspirants and for restricting it to candidates from Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency. He warned against imposing a non-performing senator, stating leadership must come through transparency and competition. Richard argued that allowing Senator Ekong Sampson, the incumbent, to return unchecked would damage the APC's credibility. Sampson, who is seeking a second term, has backing from some district stakeholders who cite experience and competence. Akparawa Friday Akpan Jack urged unity among youths and women to resist what he called the entrenchment of failure through automatic nomination.
Senator Ekong Sampson's bid for a second term is meeting resistance not from rival politicians but from the very youths the APC claims to champion, exposing a growing rift between party leadership and grassroots supporters. The protest in Ikot Abasi was not merely about open primaries—it was a direct challenge to the assumption that incumbency guarantees entitlement, especially when performance is in question. By explicitly rejecting an automatic ticket for a "non-performing senator," the youths named Sampson's perceived shortcomings as central to their discontent.
This unrest unfolds against a backdrop of rising political consciousness among Nigeria's youth, particularly in the South-South, where oil-producing communities demand accountability from elected officials. The APC's internal tensions mirror broader national debates over meritocracy and generational shift in governance. That the protesters aligned themselves with Governor Umo Eno and President Tinubu suggests they are not opposing the party but demanding it live up to its stated values of fairness and competition.
For ordinary residents of Ikot Abasi, Mkpat Enin, and Eastern Obolo, the outcome of this primary could determine whether their representation remains insulated or becomes responsive. If the party ignores these voices, it risks alienating a demographic crucial to its electoral survival. This is not an isolated outcry but part of a pattern where party elites face increasing pressure to justify political succession in the public's terms, not their own.
