A political group in Akwa Ibom, the Uyo Liberation Movement, has alleged a plot by officials of the Akwa Ibom State Government and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to infiltrate opposition political parties and impose associates as candidates ahead of the 2027 election for the Uyo State Constituency seat.

The group, in a statement issued by its Secretary-General, Prince Emmanuel Sam, claimed the alleged move was part of a broader strategy by the APC to weaken genuine opposition and influence the outcome of the 2027 polls.

According to the group, the plot reflects what it described as growing desperation within the ruling party’s camp.

“ULM is actively interfacing with all opposition political parties to ensure that only genuine aspirants from Offot Ukwa Clan are cleared to participate in their various primary elections,” the statement said.

The group said it recently resolved that the existing zoning arrangement for the Uyo State Constituency seat should be strictly maintained, insisting that the political rotation had served as a tool for peace and unity in Uyo.

It noted that since 1999, the State House of Assembly seat had rotated among the four clans in Uyo—Oku, Etoi, Ikono, and Offot Ukwa—under what it described as an established single-term arrangement.

According to the group, the pattern shows that while Oku, Etoi and Ikono clans have each occupied the seat twice, Offot Ukwa Clan has held it only once and is therefore entitled to produce the next occupant in 2027.

“The current attempt to disrupt this arrangement that has fostered peace and unity in Uyo must be strongly resisted by every well-meaning citizen of Uyo,” the statement added.

The ULM also urged opposition political parties in the state to guard against infiltration and protect the integrity of their primary processes.

It specifically commended the Labour Party National Screening Committee for disqualifying what it described as “a known associate of an APC stakeholder” during its governorship screening process.

The group warned that failure by opposition parties to remain vigilant could expose them to what it termed the same “irreparable damage” allegedly inflicted on opposition platforms at the national level, adding that proactive steps were necessary “in the interest of democracy.”