The Ibeno Elders Council has again condemned the Ekid People’s Union (EPU) over what they described as a campaign of bitterness, political desperation and sustained hate against the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The elders said, Akpabio is a national asset, whose towering leadership stature and political relevance transcend senatorial boundaries, warning that dragging him into the lingering Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve dispute was a calculated attempt to gain political leverage after their legal options failed.
Speaking in Ibeno on Saturday, the Council’s Spokesman, Barrister Diamond Akpanika, denounced what he called a “desperate propaganda stunt” aimed at smearing the Senate President to score cheap political points.
“The Stubbs Creek issue is a legal and historical matter, not a political bargaining chip. Anyone who abandoned their case at the Appeal Court, Calabar, and rejected the peace initiatives proposed twice by Governor Umo Eno cannot suddenly turn around to cry injustice,” Akpanika said.
He stated that the Council had previously ignored the outbursts of EPU 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 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 under prominent political figures to tell lies”, he added.
The elders strongly eulogised Senator Akpabio, describing him as a detribalised leader whose influence extends beyond Akwa Ibom 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 stated noting that, Akpabio’s position is a strategic advantage to Akwa Ibom State and should attract support from home rather than hostility.
The Council 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 the indigenes.
“EPU is not a victim of neglect. What is driving this hatred is envy of Senator Akpabio’s influence, acceptance and national relevance,” the elders said.
The Council also condemned what it described as Eket’s hostile reaction to Akpabio’s billboards across the district, saying the obsession has exposed their “political emptiness and inferiority complex masquerading as activism.”
The elders further accused 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, East–West Road, NAF Air Base and the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway etc stating that, “after driving away investors, they turn around to cry of unemployment.
“You cannot smash your own plate and later complain there is no food,” Akpanika said.
The elders also defended Governor Umo Eno, saying that the hostility against him stems from his refusal to compromise facts on 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,” he said.
Ibeno stakeholders urged Eket interest groups to eschew bitterness, embrace political maturity and hold their own leaders accountable for their failures.
“Senator Akpabio is discharging his national duty with distinction. Let Eket face its own problem and stop the distractions by exporting sentiments.
“Democracy works only when the people understand where their power lies, and where it does not,” the Council concluded.
