A’Ibom councillors accuse chairman of using thugs to disrupt plenary

Etim Ekpimah

A political crisis has erupted in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, with seven councillors accusing the council chairman, Mr Inibehe Umah, of deploying thugs to disrupt a legislative plenary and prevent them from carrying out their oversight responsibilities.

The allegations were made on Tuesday by the Leader of the Ini Legislative Council, Mr Donald Usoroh, while addressing journalists in Uyo alongside seven other councillors out of the council’s 11 members, on 10 Wednesday, 2026.

Usoroh alleged that the chairman mobilised more than 100 hoodlums who invaded the council chambers during the lawmakers’ weekly plenary session, assaulted councillors and disrupted proceedings.

According to him, the legislators had invited the chairman to appear before the council and present details of the local government’s income and expenditure as part of their constitutional oversight duties.

He said the invitation was based on provisions of the Akwa Ibom State Local Government Legislative Council bye-law, which empowers councillors to scrutinise the monthly statement of income and expenditure submitted by the council chairman and exercise oversight functions to ensure the smooth running of the local government.

Usoroh alleged that since assuming office on 9 October 2024, Umah had consistently prevented the legislative arm from carrying out these responsibilities.

“Today is a sad day for democracy in Ini Local Government Area and for legislators across Nigeria,” he said.

He explained that on 2 June 2026, the council formally invited the chairman, through the clerk, to appear before the lawmakers and provide an account of the local government’s finances covering one year.

According to him, rather than honour the invitation, the chairman allegedly mobilised thugs who invaded the plenary session.

“When we arrived for our usual Tuesday plenary, the chairman mobilised over 100 thugs who came to harass us, assault us and desecrate the chambers,” Usoroh alleged.

He further claimed that several councillors sustained varying degrees of injuries during the incident, while mobile phones belonging to some lawmakers were damaged.

The council leader also alleged that journalists who came to cover the proceedings were attacked and that two cameras were seized by the assailants.

The councillors further accused the chairman of operating the local government without transparency or accountability, alleging that he had sidelined the legislative arm and treated the council as a personal estate.

They claimed that little development was taking place in the area despite what they described as the chairman’s active presence on social media platforms.

Usoroh appealed to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, to intervene and call the chairman to order to preserve peace in the local government area.

He also called on the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and other stakeholders in Ini Local Government Area to intervene and help resolve the dispute.

“We appeal to all stakeholders and lovers of peace to prevail on the chairman so that what happened today does not happen again and to prevent any breakdown of law and order in Ini Local Government Area,” he said.

Umah could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report, as calls placed to his telephone line did not connect and text messages sent to him remained undelivered.