April 05, (THEWILL) — The Esit Eket Grassroots Network (EGN) has openly rejected the stance of the Ekid People’s Union (EPU), declaring its support for the re-election of Rep. Okpolupm Etteh, Representative for Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, even as it challenged the union’s claim to speak for the entire Ekid people.
In a position paper released yesterday in Etebi Idung Assan, Esit Eket Local Government Area, the group described an earlier EPU publication opposing Etteh and other Ibeno political office holders as “misleading” and unrepresentative of broader Ekid opinion.
The statement endorsed by Senior Christ Servant Martins Umoyo, Rt. Hon. Okon Edoho Udo, Chief Victor Dan Ikot, Hon. Ubong Bassey, and other members on behalf of the Esit Eket Grassroots Network, argued that the EPU is neither an umbrella body nor the sole mouthpiece of the Ekid people, stressing that its views should not be generalised across the ethnic group.
Framing its position around democratic principles, the network maintained that electoral choices must be guided by competence, performance, and service delivery rather than what it termed divisive narratives.
The group cited Etteh’s track record in the National Assembly, pointing to constituency engagement, youth empowerment initiatives, and investments in human capital development as reasons for its endorsement and also highlighted the lawmaker’s accessibility and responsiveness to constituents.
Beyond the federal constituency race, EGN extended its support to President Bola Tinubu and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, advocating continuity to sustain ongoing development efforts.
The group called on residents of Eket Federal Constituency to remain focused on unity and progress, urging them to disregard what it described as divisive rhetoric.
