“Akwa Ibom United Must Not Be Mere Slogan” — Oro Redemption Forum Raises Fresh Remapping Concerns
The Oro Redemption Forum, a pan-Oro emancipation advocacy group, has raised concerns over what it described as increasing hostility and inflammatory rhetoric directed at the Oro-Obolo people, warning that the development could threaten peace, unity and security in Akwa Ibom State.
In a press statement dated August 25, 2026, the group reacted to an interview allegedly granted by Akparawa Idongesit Ikono, who it said claimed to speak for Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio and Afigh Iwaad Ekid.
The forum accused the interviewee and groups he purportedly represented of distorting historical facts and promoting what it described as hate speech against the Oro-Obolo people.
At the centre of the controversy is the 2023 remapping of Akwa Ibom State, which the forum questioned and described as an exercise that requires further scrutiny based on historical records, survey documents, court judgments and established geographical realities.
The group questioned what map governed Akwa Ibom State before 2023, arguing that the state had been administered since its creation in 1987 on the basis of an established geographical and territorial framework.
It also raised questions about the maps and boundary documents used in previous disputes involving Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers states, particularly those connected with the longstanding oil-wells dispute that culminated in the Supreme Court’s 2012 judgment.
The forum further cited legal challenges to the remapping exercise, including Suit No. HU/341/2021, Joseph Daniel Ekoyork & Ors v. Akwa Ibom State & Ors, in which it said the Akwa Ibom State High Court, Uyo, delivered judgment on January 27, 2022.
According to the group, the court restrained the defendants from remapping or adjusting affected local government boundaries without complying with Section 8(4) of the 1999 Constitution.
It also referenced Suit No. FHC/UY/CS/49/2023, The Paramount Ruler of Ibeno & 8 Ors v. Akwa Ibom State & 15 Ors, filed at the Federal High Court in connection with the 2023 map law.
The Oro Redemption Forum questioned why the remapping exercise proceeded despite the legal challenges, describing the issue as one that should be examined within the context of the rule of law.
The group argued that the geographical relationship between coastal communities in Oron, Okobo, Urue Offong/Oruko, Udung Uko, Mbo, Eastern Obolo and Ibeno and the Atlantic Ocean was a physical reality that, in its view, should not be altered through political or cartographic decisions.
It maintained that Akwa Ibom State did not acquire new territory, geography or historical boundaries in 2023 and therefore demanded an explanation of what necessitated the remapping exercise.
The forum also expressed concern over what it described as rising ethnic rhetoric, alleging that inflammatory statements could fuel rivalry, violence and social unrest if not addressed.
Referencing the work of genocide scholar Dr Gregory Stanton, the group said it was concerned about what it described as early warning signs of organised discrimination, while urging stakeholders to prevent the escalation of tensions.
The forum stressed that the slogan “Akwa Ibom United” should translate into equal treatment, justice and protection for all communities across the state.
It called on community leaders, cultural organisations and other stakeholders to intervene and urged all groups involved in the controversy to exercise restraint.
The group also called for the investigation and prosecution of Dr. Udonsak over what it described as a “callous, violent and incriminating statement,” alleging that the remarks had heightened tension in the state.
The Oro Redemption Forum appealed to Governor Umo Eno to intervene in the remapping controversy and protect what it described as the rights and interests of the Oro-Obolo people.
It said the peace, unity and development of Akwa Ibom should not be sacrificed for ethnic, political or economic interests.
The statement was signed by Ulap Henshaw Assi, Acting Chairman/Secretary; Ulap Ezekiel Ibok, Director of Public Communication; and Ulap Kingsley Akaiso, Esq., Director of Legal Services.
