Stakeholders from Ibeno have reportedly clashed with the Ekid people over the latter’s alleged opposition to billboards bearing the image of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, which were sighted in strategic locations across Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The Ekid people, under the auspices of the Ekid People’s Union, were said to have opposed the billboards, questioning the rationale for their placement on the grounds that Akpabio was not from the Eket Senatorial District.
Akpabio represents Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District (Ikot Ekpene) in the National Assembly.
Reacting in Uyo on Wednesday, the Ibeno Elders, through their spokesperson, Mr Diamond Akpanika (Barrister), condemned the Ekid People’s Union’s objection to the billboards, describing it as “political emptiness and inferiority complex masquerading as activism.”
Akpanika eulogised Akpabio, describing him as a detribalised leader whose influence extended beyond Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.
“Senator Akpabio is not just a senator for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District; he is the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. By virtue of that office, his impact is national,” Akpanika said.
He described Akpabio’s position as Senate President as a strategic advantage to Akwa Ibom State which should attract support rather than hostility from within the state.
Akpanika cited the Senate President’s empowerment programmes across Akwa Ibom, including the donation of 10 outboard engines, fishing boats and fishing gear to riverine women and cooperatives in Eket Senatorial District in December 2025, as well as federal appointments facilitated for indigenes.
According to him, “Ekid People’s Union is not a victim of neglect. What is driving this hatred is envy of Senator Akpabio’s influence, acceptance and national relevance. This is political emptiness and an inferiority complex masquerading as activism.”
He further accused the Ekid People’s Union of sabotaging development in Akwa Ibom by opposing major investment opportunities through petitions, protests and alleged blackmail.
Akpanika alleged that projects such as the Amakpe Refinery, Qua Steel, Dr Pepper project, Chinese market investments, BUA Refinery, the East–West Road, NAF Air Base and the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway had been frustrated, adding that, “after driving away investors, they turn around to complain of unemployment.
“You cannot smash your own plate and later complain there is no food,” he said.
He commended Governor Umo Eno for what he described as a courageous stance on the disputed Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, saying the opposition to the governor stemmed from his refusal to compromise on the facts surrounding the issue.
“The governor stood by the truth and rejected a fake state map concocted under the previous administration. That courage is the real offence,” Akpanika said.
He urged interest groups in Eket to eschew bitterness, embrace political maturity and hold their leaders accountable.
With the 2027 elections drawing closer, billboards have begun to appear across the state in anticipation of the polls, with Governor Umo Eno and other stakeholders rallying behind Akpabio to retain his Senate President’s seat.
At a special inter-denominational New Year thanksgiving service in Uyo, the governor had declared that only the enemy of Akwa Ibom would not want Akpabio to be Senate President.
“We will pray and work hard that Akpabio’s colleagues will return him as the Senate President, so that Akwa Ibom will continue to occupy the number three seat in this country,” he said.
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