Ogoja/Yala Reps: Ukelle Reject APC Consensus Candidate Over Pending Murder Allegations
By Missang AKPET
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 by constituents under the Ukelle Nation, the group said it strongly opposes any attempt to impose Odey-Ekpo as the All Progressives Congress (APC) preferred candidate, citing unresolved grievances linked to the death of Charles Onwe, popularly known as Omo Jesu, in 2020.
The group 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 under former Governor Ben Ayade. The allegations have not been independently verified.
The stakeholders further claimed that the incident deepened tensions between Yala I and Yala II constituencies, accusing Odey-Ekpo of previously deploying armed groups against Ukelle indigenes and others opposed to her interests.
Speaking on behalf of the Ukelle Nation, Chief Sunday Ochadu Ogana said the community had suffered years of violence, discrimination and intimidation, insisting they would not accept a candidate they consider responsible for harm against their people.
“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 proposed a political arrangement in which the current representative, Hon. Offiono, completes a second term before the seat is zoned to Ukelle in subsequent electoral cycles.
The group also urged APC leadership to consider their position ahead of the polls, saying 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 step for the community. However, he maintained that the community would not support any candidate allegedly linked to the unresolved death of Onwe, warning that such a decision would reopen old wounds.
Dr. Stella Odey-Ekpo, a former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and a brief appointee to the Federal Character Commission in 2023, is reportedly among those being considered 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.
