Leaders of the Ekid People's Union (EPU) have withdrawn political support for Okpolupm Etteh, the incumbent representative of the Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. The decision, announced on 27 March after a meeting of the EPU's Board of Trustees, Executive Committee and stakeholders, means no candidate from Ibeno Local Government Area will receive their backing in the 2027 elections. Etteh, who hails from Ibeno, is accused of failing to protect Ekid interests, particularly over land disputes involving the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve and Qua Iboe River. The EPU cited his silence on a 2023 petition challenging Akwa Ibom's gazetted state map—which granted Ekid rights to disputed land—as evidence of broken trust.
The group also condemned Etteh for allegedly initiating a motion to rename Eket and Esit Eket without consultation and for not opposing the inclusion of Ekid land in a proposed Obolo State. Security concerns and recent actions by the Ibeno Clan Council over Esit Urua village were additional factors. Signatories to the statement include former minister and ex-representative Nduese Essien, EPU President General Samuel Udonsak, and ex-representative Bassey Dan-Abia. Essien stated he would never act as Etteh has, recalling his own tenure from 1999 to 2007. Kingsley Mbere, Director-General of Etteh's campaign committee, dismissed the EPU's stance as unrepresentative, noting Etteh received strong support in Eket during the 2023 elections despite similar opposition.
The EPU's outright rejection of Okpolupm Etteh and all Ibeno candidates signals a deepening identity-based political rift, not just a personal rebuke. By invoking survival and existence, leaders like Nduese Essien and Samuel Udonsak are framing representation as a matter of cultural preservation, not performance. Given Etteh's 2023 win in Eket despite prior backlash, the 2027 battle may hinge less on policy than on whether ethnic solidarity can override electoral pragmatism.
