By Inemesit Friday
Stakeholders from Yala II State Constituency, also known as Ukelle, have rejected the reported endorsement of Dr. Stella Oreme Odey-Ekpo as a consensus candidate for the Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency seat ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued under the umbrella of the Ukelle Nation, the group said it strongly opposes any attempt to present Odey-Ekpo as the All Progressives Congress (APC) preferred candidate, citing unresolved concerns surrounding the death of Charles Onwe, popularly known as Omo Jesu, in 2020.
The stakeholders alleged that before his death, Onwe claimed he was attacked by armed men at a property in Ugaga, Yala Local Government Area, and reportedly linked the incident to Dr. Odey-Ekpo, who served as Commissioner for Local Government Affairs during the administration of former Governor Ben Ayade. The allegations remain unverified.
They further claimed that the incident escalated tensions between Yala I and Yala II constituencies, accusing Odey-Ekpo of previously deploying armed groups against Ukelle indigenes and other political opponents.
Speaking on behalf of the Ukelle Nation, Chief Sunday Ochadu Ogana said the community had suffered years of intimidation and would resist any attempt to impose a candidate they consider unacceptable.
“We reject any attempt to impose on us our own enemy,” he said. “We the people of Ukelle are eminently qualified to represent Ogoja/Yala in the National Assembly, and we will not vote against our sensibility.”
Ogana also proposed a rotational arrangement in which the current representative, Hon. Offiono, is allowed to complete a second term before the seat is zoned to Ukelle in subsequent electoral cycles.
The group urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to take their position into consideration ahead of the polls, insisting that consultations had been held widely at the grassroots level and that their stance would be reflected at the ballot box.
He commended the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, for initiating a 5km road project in North Ukelle, describing it as a positive development. However, he maintained that the community would not support any candidate linked to the unresolved death of Onwe, warning that such a decision could reopen old wounds.
Dr. Stella Odey-Ekpo, a former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and briefly a member of the Federal Character Commission in 2023, is reportedly among the frontrunners for the APC ticket for the House of Representatives seat.
Efforts to reach Odey-Ekpo for comment were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to her were not returned.