Ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial election, Ibibio National Union, a socio political group in Akwa Ibom State, has announced that Ibibio indigenes have withdrawn their support for the zoning of the governorship position among ethnic groups in the state.

The group also dismissed the notion that Akwa Ibom stands on a tripod of three ethnic groups – Ibibio, Annang and Oro.

Ibibio National Union spoke in a statement by its National President, Engr. Emmanuel Akpan, which was made available to journalists on Tuesday in Uyo.

“The truth is that Akwa Ibom State, like every other state in Nigeria, stands on a scientific tripod of three senatorial districts – North East (Uyo), North West (Ikot Ekpene) and South East (Eket). In any composition of multi-ethnic nationalities to form a state or nation state, some groups would always remain a minority,” Akpan said.

He explained that Ibibio ethnic group occupies 100 percent of Uyo Senatorial District, 80 percent of Eket Senatorial District and 20 percent of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, adding that other groups are not “in large enough numbers” to make any significant difference in the political equation of the state.

The statement added, “Other groups like Oro should face the reality, respect themselves, swallow their pride, seek accommodation in an Ibibio dominated political space if they want to produce a governor in the state. Let it be emphasised that no Oro person can become governor of Akwa Ibom State without the support of the Ibibios – the majority and largest ethnic group in the state.”

Also, another Ibibio group, Mboho Ikot Abasi, led by Mkpisong Chelly Okoko, warned against what it described as “weaponization of minority status as an instrument of terrorising or blackmailing the Ibibio majority on the flimsiest issues in the state”.

In its own position on the issue, the umbrella organisation of Ibibio people, Akwa Esop Imaisong Ibibio, noted that although the position of governor is rotated on the basis of senatorial districts in the state, the minorities in the various districts should not assume it would be zoned to them.

“Oro people, for instance, must understand that the majority Ibibio nation has a critical role to play for an Oro person to emerge as governor of Akwa Ibom State,” the organisation said.

The leaders of the organisation, Obong Pius Okon, Ntisong IV, and Mkpisong Tony Okpon, urged Oro people and other minorities in the state to “stop insulting and undermining the Ibibio people”.