Nine Cross River’s lawmakers pass vote of confidence in Otu

…List reasons why governor should return in 2027

Ahead of the 2027 general election, nine members of the Cross River State House of Assembly have passed a vote of confidence in Governor Bassey Otu.

The fear of retaining their seats and the and the likelihood of Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong throwing his hat in the ring for the governorship race, may have prompted the lawmakers to publicly declare their position.

There is an indication that more lawmakers will toe the line of the nine legislators in the coming days to establish their loyalty to the governor.

There is a cold war brewing in the state over the planned replacement of Senator Ekpeyong with a loyalist of the governor, a development that Ekpeyong’s supporters are not taking likely.

“We, the representatives of the nine state constituencies in the Southern Senatorial Districts of Cross River State- comprising Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Biase, Calabar South 1, Calabar South 2, Calabar Municipal, and Odukpani-_hereby pass a vote of confidence in Governor Bassey Edet Otu, in recognition of his remarkable achievements since assuming office.

“After a thorough and unbiased assessment of governance in Cross River State since 1998, we conclude that Governor Otu’s administration, in comparison with the achievements in first two years of former governors’ first terms, has made significant strides in infrastructure development, economic policies, human development, peace, and security,” the lawmakers said.

The legislators, who listed some of the achievements so far recorded by the governor, said: “We commend the invaluable contributions of the First Lady, Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, whose wealth of experience in local government administration, State Civil service, Federal Civil Service and strong religious attributes have been brought to bear as a first-hand Adviser to His Excellency. Her initiatives in healthcare and women’s empowerment have indeed complemented the Governors achievements.

“In light of this progress in our dear state, we are left with no option, but to align with the governor to sustain the tempo and do more.

As we work towards 2027 and the dynamics of another elections in our state, we urge every Cross Riverian and residents of our state to please think Cross River and the collective good of the state.

“No reasonable team will replace its best goal scorer before the end of the match, when he is still in high performance, and the team still in need of more goals.”

According to them, “As patriotic and people-driven representatives, we hereby pass a vote of confidence in our governor, Bassey Edet Otu. We declare, unequivocally, that he is our only choice for next term as governor of Cross River State, to continue from 2027 to 2031.”