Cross River Senator Refutes Statements from Eno Campaign Official and Calls for Retraction

Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong from Cross River State has categorically denied remarks credited to him in an article authored by Etim Etim, the communications director for the re-election campaign of Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State.

The senator stated that the insinuations in the article are untrue and has requested an immediate retraction.

Etim, who serves as the director of strategic communications for the ARISE Renewed Hope Initiative—the platform backing Governor Eno’s campaign—wrote an opinion piece published on March 14 in TheCable. He claimed that a senator from Cross River had expressed private concerns about the state government's handling of a dispute regarding oil wells with Akwa Ibom.

In his piece, Etim suggested that the unnamed senator, who had previously supported Governor Eno's efforts, confided, “I can’t see the logic in what my state government is doing. This matter has long been settled by the Supreme Court, but I have to play along so that I’m not called a black sheep of the state or mocked as ‘Akwa Ibom Senator’ as they usually do.”

However, investigations by PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that Ekpenyong was the only senator from Cross River known to have publicly commented on the issue in February. Notably, on February 3, he had posted a statement on Facebook supporting Governor Bassey Edet Otu's position regarding the contested oil wells.

On March 15, in response to the claims, Ekpenyong stated that he does not know Etim and made clear that he did not make the comments attributed to him.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state clearly that I do not know the author and have never made any statement of that nature,” he asserted.

He further stated, “The insinuation contained in the publication is entirely false, and appears deliberately framed to create the impression of a disagreement where none exists.”

Ekpenyong condemned the publication as misleading and irresponsible, emphasizing that it could introduce unnecessary tension into state matters. He also expressed his unwavering support for Governor Otu and his commitment to collaborating with other stakeholders to safeguard Cross River’s interests.

The senator indicated that his legal team had been instructed to formally request a retraction and amendment of the article. He warned that if the author fails to retract the defamatory remarks, he would not hesitate to seek legal remedies.

Previously, Etim has stirred controversy over his public comments, including an article in February warning that the potential entry of President Tinubu’s sons and other ministers into the upcoming 2027 elections could be detrimental to society. He later issued an apology to Governor Eno for any embarrassment caused by his commentary.