Ahead of the 2027 general election, the Cross River State Political Network (CRISPON) has vowed to deliver bloc votes for Governor Bassey Otu, President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying increased votes for Tinubu would give Cross River State greater negotiating power at the centre.
The pledge was made yesterday during an endorsement rally for APC candidates in the Northern Senatorial District held in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Addressing supporters, the Director-General of CRISPON, Dr Michael Nku Abuo, said the group’s decision was based on what it described as the achievements of the Tinubu and Otu administrations.
He urged members to return to their polling units and wards to mobilise voters ahead of the 2027 election.
“As we go back to our respective polling units, as we go back to our respective wards, as we go back to our respective local governments, let us not allow any voter’s card, any voter slip to be returned. We must use all the ballot papers.
“The more votes we give, the more negotiating power we have at the centre,” Abuo said.
While commending Governor Otu for ongoing road projects, particularly the improved Calabar-Ogoja road, Abuo appealed for faster intervention in Ukelle and Boki.
He also listed other demands tied to the group’s support for the administration, including addressing electricity challenges in Bekwarra, establishing a College of Medical Sciences in Yala, and expanding facilities at the University of Cross River State, Okuku campus, School of Nursing and College of Health Technology.
“We will tell him to continue to complete the road in Ukelle. If it is possible, I will appeal to His Excellency to change that contractor because we are not impressed with the pace of work,” he stated.
On empowerment, Abuo said CRISPON had submitted 115 names for a state intervention programme and expressed optimism that beneficiaries would begin receiving support soon.
“By the end of September, most of you who are here, or all of you who are here, who are part of that programme, will begin to receive your alerts,” he announced.
He also commended the governor for lifting the ban on recruitment into the civil service and called for more job opportunities for young people.
The group further called on the federal government to support Cross River in reclaiming its oil wells. Abuo also appealed to President Tinubu to sustain his backing for Governor Otu, describing the President’s confidence in the governor as critical to the state’s development.
The state Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Odey, who represented Governor Otu at the event, called for support for the governor, President Tinubu’s second-term bid and the APC, citing the President’s role in Cross River’s oil-producing status and the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport.
