Joseph Odok
The presidential campaign gathering was more than a partisan mobilisation. It demonstrated Governor Bassey Otu’s emerging capacity to reconcile competing interests, rebuild confidence among aggrieved party members and reposition Cross River APC around a shared political purpose.
A political gathering is best understood not merely by the speeches delivered but by the people who attend, the relationships repaired and the collective disposition that emerges. By this measure, yesterday’s APC presidential campaign gathering in Cross River State deserves attention beyond ordinary partisan mobilisation. The crowd, the presence of political stakeholders and the convergence of party interests communicated an important message: Cross River APC is rediscovering its collective strength. More importantly, Governor Bassey Otu’s strategy of consultation, inclusion and stakeholder engagement appears to be yielding political dividends.
The crowd was a political statement. The massive attendance at U.J. Esuene Stadium was one of the gathering’s most striking features. Supporters and party faithful from the state’s 18 local government areas converged in Calabar, demonstrating considerable enthusiasm and mobilisation capacity. Channels Television reported a massive gathering even before the vice-president’s arrival.
The crowd was significant because it came against persistent political criticism, internal disagreements and attempts to portray the Otu administration as having lost its political appeal. Yesterday’s gathering offered a visible counterpoint to that narrative. Although rally attendance cannot guarantee electoral victory, dismissing its political significance would be equally mistaken. The mobilisation demonstrated that Governor Otu’s political acceptance cannot be measured solely by the volume of criticism directed at his administration. There is a difference between political noise and the actual disposition of supporters and party stakeholders.
The focal message is that of continuity, opportunity and responsibility. Vice-President Kashim Shettima called for renewed confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Otu and other APC candidates. He presented the relationship between the Federal Government and Cross River as a partnership capable of advancing infrastructure, economic opportunities, regional connectivity and human capital development. His references to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport were particularly significant. These projects hold potential implications for Cross River’s commercial future, employment, tourism and investment.
APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, similarly emphasised the economic opportunities associated with improved maritime and transport infrastructure. Governor Otu’s message centred on gratitude, productivity and collaboration between state and federal governments. His appeal for support across elective positions reflected his belief that political alignment could strengthen the state’s development prospects. Ultimately, however, political support must translate into measurable improvements in livelihoods, infrastructure, security, employed public services. The people deserve results, not merely promises.
Inclusion is fundamental to bring the APC family together. Perhaps the most consequential development surrounding the rally is the renewed effort to accommodate previously dissatisfied APC members. The inauguration of the state campaign council on November 1, followed by the presidential campaign gathering on November 2, created an organisational platform for bringing different political tendencies together. Senator Stephen A. Odey’s appointment as Director-General, alongside the participation of national and state political leaders, illustrates this effort. The APC state Chairman, Hon. Chris Soni Etta, is redefining APC CRS away from the former days where the gains of APC reflected in big mansions and personal fat account of a few cash cows while the majority of members gnash their teeth in penury.
This development must be understood against earlier disagreements. In September, The Guardian reported concerns by former state party chairman, Hon. Cletus Mbia Obun, about the exclusion of some foundation members from the presidential campaign council. Such grievances exposed the danger of allowing internal recognition and participation to become sources of lasting resentment.
The present mobilisation offers an opportunity to move beyond those divisions. By widening participation in campaign structures, recognising political contributions and creating opportunities for members to serve, Otu is demonstrating that a political party cannot sustainably grow by reserving its internal space for a privileged few. The restoration of more than 3,000 local government workers to the payroll and the lifting of the employment embargo are also significant public-service developments. They should be appreciated primarily as governance interventions, rather than reduced to political rewards. Reconciliation requires recognition, access, participation and a genuine sense of belonging. Yesterday’s gathering suggests that this process is gaining momentum.
Gov Otu’s improved consultations makes him a listening governor who is privileged with constant feedbacks to act upon. One important feature of Governor Otu’s evolving leadership is his increasing engagement with stakeholders across the state’s political and social landscape. Leadership is not simply the exercise of authority. It requires listening, receiving uncomfortable feedback, recognising mistakes and making adjustments without abandoning broader governance objectives. Consultation exposes administrative weaknesses, identifies neglected constituencies, reveals dissatisfaction and helps government understand how policies are experienced beyond official reports.
Gov Otu’s stakeholder engagements are therefore producing an important political benefit: opportunities to correct earlier misjudgments, improve relationships and make government more responsive. The sweetness of Otu’s leadership is increasingly being felt through the growing emphasis on inclusion, accessibility and participation. This does not mean every grievance has disappeared or every constituency is satisfied. Rather, the political atmosphere is showing signs of improvement.
A government that listens has a better opportunity to correct its course before minor grievances become major liabilities. Otu should sustain this approach beyond election campaigns, making consultation a permanent feature of appointments, policy adjustments, project distribution and administrative responsiveness. CRS needs unity of purpose, APC CRS is coming together. The diversity of political interests represented at yesterday’s gathering was particularly important. The presence of Vice-President Shettima; Senate President, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio; Governor Otu; Deputy Governor, Hon. Peter Odey; the minister from CRS, John Owan Enoh; APC governors, National Assembly members, party executives and other stakeholders demonstrated the importance attached to Cross River’s political mobilisation. Political strength rarely comes from one individual. It emerges when competing interests recognise the advantages of cooperation.
Cross River APC must accommodate old members, new entrants, elected officials, former aspirants, grassroots mobilisers, youth organisations and those whose ambitions may have been frustrated by previous disagreements. No political organisation can afford to waste the experience and mobilisation capacity of its members through avoidable conflicts. Gov Otu deserves recognition for bringing these interests together. The campaign council must now translate the atmosphere of unity into disciplined grassroots engagement across the state’s wards and communities.
Beyond the rally is the responsibility of governance. Political excitement must not be confused with the responsibility of governance. A successful rally does not automatically resolve poverty, unemployment, poor rural roads, inadequate electricity, healthcare challenges or the legitimate complaints of neglected communities. The strongest way to consolidate emerging goodwill is to make inclusion visible in development outcomes. Boki, Obanliku, Bekwarra, Yala, Ogoja, Akamkpa, Yakurr, Obubra, Bakassi and other communities must experience government through practical improvements in their everyday lives.
Political inclusion should translate into equitable opportunities, while stakeholder consultations should influence project selection and execution. The administration must also guard against the arrogance of political victory. Those who gathered yesterday are citizens whose welfare remains the ultimate purpose of government. This is where Gov Otu’s People First philosophy must find practical expression.
A new opportunity for political consolidation has just been opened. Yesterday’s APC presidential campaign gathering was more than an opportunity to receive the vice-president and demonstrate party strength. It was a statement about political reconciliation and the value of strategic leadership. The crowd challenged the narrative that political criticism necessarily translates into declining acceptance. The participation of diverse stakeholders demonstrated the possibility of unity, while the campaign council provided an organisational platform for inclusion. Most importantly, Otu appears increasingly conscious that leadership requires more than the authority of office. It requires relationships, consultation, accommodation and the willingness to adjust. The sweetness of his administration will become more enduring as people experience its benefits, find opportunities for participation and see their concerns reflected in government decisions.
Cross River APC is showing signs of coming together. This is worth celebrating and protecting. The real victory of yesterday’s gathering will not be measured simply by the number of people who filled U.J. Esuene Stadium. It will be measured by whether the unity displayed survives the campaign, whether aggrieved members genuinely find a home in the party, and whether the cooperation witnessed in Calabar produces better governance for Cross River.
A united APC, a responsive government and a politically consequential Cross River should be the enduring objectives. Governor Otu has an opportunity to turn yesterday’s enthusiasm into a lasting political and developmental legacy
* Dr Joseph Abang Odok, a Senior Lecturer, Social Change Agent, lawyer and philosopher, writes from Lokoja