The Ibeno Elders Council has once again condemned the Ekid People’s Union (EPU), accusing the group of promoting bitterness, political desperation, and sustained hate campaigns against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
According to the elders, Senator Akpabio is a national asset whose leadership stature and political relevance transcend senatorial boundaries. They warned that dragging his name into the lingering Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve dispute was a calculated attempt to gain political leverage after EPU’s legal options allegedly failed.
Speaking in Ibeno on Saturday, the Council’s spokesman, Barrister Diamond Akpanika, described EPU’s actions as a “desperate propaganda stunt” aimed at smearing the Senate President for cheap political gains.
“The Stubbs Creek issue is a legal and historical matter, not a political bargaining chip. Anyone who abandoned their case at the Appeal Court in Calabar and rejected the peace initiatives proposed twice by Governor Umo Eno cannot suddenly turn around to cry injustice,” Akpanika said.
He explained that the Council had previously ignored EPU’s outbursts but was now compelled to respond in the interest of truth, justice, and institutional order.
“You created this controversy, abandoned it at the Appeal Court in Calabar, and rejected the Governor’s peace committee. No amount of name-dropping will change documented facts or history. Face your self-inflicted burden and stop hiding behind prominent political figures to spread falsehoods,” he added.
The elders strongly eulogised Senator Akpabio, describing him as a detribalised leader whose influence extends beyond Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.
The Council also condemned what it described as Eket’s hostile reaction to Akpabio’s billboards across the district, accusing EPU of sabotaging development in Akwa Ibom by opposing major investment opportunities through petitions, protests, and blackmail.
Projects allegedly targeted, according to the Council, include the Amakpe Refinery, Qua Steel, Dr Pepper Project, Chinese market investments, BUA Refinery, the East West Road, the NAF Air Base, and the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway. The elders noted that “after driving away investors, they turn around to complain about unemployment.”
The Council further defended Governor Umo Eno, stating that hostility against him stemmed from his refusal to compromise facts regarding the Stubbs Creek 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.
