In a widely circulated text message, Speaker Amer Ateny Alier alleged that Governor Riek has abused his office by coercing female leaders into sexual relationships and punishing those who refused his advances. She further accused him of sidelining other political leaders and governing “alone with his own interests.”
The Speaker warned that unless President Salva Kiir intervenes, she would release more damaging details, including taking her allegations public through a live Facebook broadcast.
The claims immediately drew fire from the SPLM leadership in Jonglei, which described them as defamatory and baseless.
In a statement dated September 3, Acting SPLM Secretary David Anyang Nyuon accused Speaker Ateny of fabricating lies to tarnish the governor’s reputation.
“The Governor has nothing to do with love affairs; he resembles their fathers and deserves to be respected as an elder,” Anyang said, demanding that the Speaker retract her statement and apologize. He warned that if she failed to comply, the party would pursue defamation charges against her.
The SPLM Secretariat also rejected suggestions of administrative malpractice, insisting that Governor Riak has not carried out any reshuffling or questionable decisions since his appointment. Instead, it accused the Speaker of undermining the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which guides power-sharing in the state.
The clash between the Speaker and the governor’s party has unsettled citizens and political observers, who fear the scandal could deepen divisions within Jonglei’s fragile leadership. With the SPLM rallying around the governor and the Speaker standing by her claims, questions remain over whether national authorities will step in to prevent the crisis from escalating further.
Attempts to reach Speaker Ateny for comment were unsuccessful.
