Leaders of the Ekid people in Akwa Ibom State have formally withdrawn political support for Okpolupm Etteh, the member representing Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
They declared that they would not back him or any candidate from Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom in the 2027 elections.
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The decision, contained in a statement issued after a joint meeting of the Board of Trustees, Executive Committee and accredited stakeholders of the Ekid People’s Union (EPU) on 27 March, marks a fresh escalation in political tensions within the constituency.
Those who signed the statement include a former minister and two-term member of the House of Representatives, Nduese Essien, the Union’s President General, Samuel Udonsak, and a former House of Representatives member, Bassey Dan-Abia, who served during the 2011- 2015 session.
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Ekid people are mostly found in the Eket and Esit Eket local government areas of Akwa Ibom, which, alongside Ibeno and Onna, make up the federal constituency.
The dispute between the Ekid and Ibeno communities dates back to the early 1900s. It centres on land ownership, stretching from the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve to the Qua Iboe River.
Mr Etteh hails from Ibeno.
Broken trust alleged
In the communiqué, the EPU accused Mr Etteh of failing to defend the interests, identity and territorial integrity of the Ekid people, stating that the “sacred trust” of representation had been “broken.”
The group cited the lawmaker’s silence on a petition presented on the floor of the House of Representatives challenging the gazetted map of Akwa Ibom State, arguing that such inaction raised concerns about his commitment to his constituents.
The map, passed into law in 2023, gave Ekid the right to parts of the disputed land, a move the people of Ibeno challenged.
The group also alleged that Mr Etteh initiated a motion to rename Eket and Esit Eket local government areas, without consulting the affected communities, describing the move as “a flagrant disregard for democratic principles and cultural sensitivity.”
The union further accused the lawmaker of failing to oppose the inclusion of land belonging to Ekid in the proposed creation of an Obolo State. They questioned what they described as Mr Etteh’s failure to adequately respond to security concerns within Ekid.
Citing what it called “recent actions” by the Ibeno Clan Council relating to Esit Urua village in Eket Local Government Area, the group resolved that neither Mr Etteh nor any Ibeno candidate could represent Ekid interests in the National Assembly.
Esit Urua is a community in Eket that borders Ibeno.
“Ekid would not canvass or vote for any Ibeno person. Such a vote would be a vote against our existence and survival,” the statement stated.
The union urged political parties to exercise caution when selecting candidates for the 2027 House of Representatives election, while stating its commitment to democratic processes.
Essien gives clarification
When PREMIUM TIMES contacted him about what he would have done differently if he were in Etteh’s shoes, Mr Essien criticised the current representation, distancing himself from the approach the group attributed to Mr Etteh.
“I would never be in his shoes,” he said, adding that during his tenure in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007, he did not use his position to “cause confusion and issues” in the constituency.
Etteh’s campaign team dismisses claims
However, the Director-General of Mr Etteh’s campaign committee, Kingsley Mbere, rejected the EPU’s position, describing it as the view of “individuals” that does not reflect the broader population of Eket and Esit Eket.
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Mr Mbere, who is from Eket, said communal differences between Ekid and Ibeno should not be conflated with political representation, insisting that Mr Etteh’s bid for a second term is grounded in equity and performance.
“If three out of the four local government areas in the constituency have completed their eight-year tenure, Ibeno should be allowed,” he said.
He noted that a similar stance was taken against Mr Etteh ahead of the 2023 elections, but it failed, claiming the lawmaker secured his highest vote count in Eket.
Describing the allegations in the statement as “baseless,” Mr Mbere also dismissed concerns over the proposed Obolo State, arguing that the state creation plan lacked viability and did not warrant intervention from the lawmaker.
He added that Mr Etteh had recently met with stakeholders in Eket to explain his intention to seek re-election. He noted that none of the issues raised in the statement was brought up at the meeting, even though Mr Essien chaired it and some signatories were in attendance.
