By Frank Ulom
The reelection of Cross River State Governor, Sen. Bassey Edet Otu, has continued to gather momentum as Neighbour2Neighbour (N2N) Network has taken the campaign to the Southern Senatorial District, vowing to turn in over one million votes for the 2027 presidential and governorship elections.
Neighbour2Neighbour is a grassroots movement committed to taking Governor Otu’s achievements to every part of the state.
The group is building an organic structure that will work assiduously for the success of Otu in 2027. Thus, the mobilisation and spreading of the message.
Inaugurating 40 ward coordinators as well as polling unit coordinators separately at Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Calabar South and Calabar Municipality, the Director-General, Dr Bobby Ekpenyong, said the main aim of the group is to galvanise everybody and speak to them about Sweet Prince.
Ekpenyong disclosed that every local government has ward, local government and neighbourhood cells comprising 10 coordinators, with each coordinator expected to mobilise 10 persons. We call it ‘Operation Get 10 Persons’. We have a very strong advocacy structure,” he stated.
The DG stated clearly that the 2027 general election would be a different ball game, vowing to collaborate with Governor Otu-led government, APC leadership and other Support groups to deliver about one million votes to APC during the general elections.
The University Don said the N2N has come in to bridge that voting gap, as it has been traversing the length and breadth of the 196 wards, canvassing for massive turnout of voters to even surpass what happened in Osun State last governorship election.
He said: “The 2027 election is not a year of sitting on the fence; it is not an election of voter apathy; it is a call to action by all persons of voting age. It is an era of massive voter turnout to improve upon our voting strength. And that is what N2N is committed to achieving.
“We cannot allow what happened in the 2023 general election to repeat itself. In that election, Cross River recorded less than 200 votes for President. In 2027, we must hit over one million votes so that our Governor can have something to bargain with and make a case for Cross Riverians.
“We must break that old jinx that our people are not politically inclined and are disenchanted during elections. This is the auspicious time to show that we are ready to play national APC politics by delivering massively for Tinubu and Otu. So, no sitting on the fence. All hands must be on deck. And that’s why N2N is all out to change the voting pattern.”
Ekpenyong maintained that the people of Cross River can only negotiate at federal level and get their due if they turn out massive votes, adding that it would be a wasted effort if we cannot take up the gauntlet and mobilise for the over a million votes.
Speaking at the various fora, Dr Silo Ekpenyong, Director of Women Mobilisation, called on women to wake up from slumber and come out en masse to cast their votes for APC so as to secure their children’s future.
She challenged the womenfolk to talk to their neighbours, their children, church members and colleagues anywhere they found themselves and convince them of the need to return Tinubu and Otu massively.
She advised women not to be led by the nose by political opponents who have nothing to offer other than propaganda, adding that, “Otu’s government has done a lot of empowerment for the women in agriculture, women in trading and women in politics.”
Speaking at Calabar Municipality, the APC House of Reps candidate for Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency, Dr Effeffiom Nta Eke, said Otu and Tinubu deserve another term considering the volume of infrastructure that the duo are investing in.
He said never in the history of the country and the State has an adminstration invested heavily on tape infrastructures to boost economic growth and business across the geopolitical zones.
The former local government chairman, who commended the Neighbour2Neighbour Network for taking up the challenge of mobilising voters across the state, said the 1017 election is going to witness a new movement in terms of voting, vowing to partner with the group to return massive votes for all APC candidates.
Dignitaries at the event were some members of the Board of Trustees of N2N, including Hon. Nkom John, Secretary; Hon. Mrs Etta Okon, Women Leader, Calabar Municipality; Mr Offiong Asuquo, Coordinator, Odukpani; Mr Offiong Eyo, Pastor Okon Ekpo, Coordinator, Bakasai LGA; Chief Emmanuel Asuquo, Calabar South Coordinator, N2N Director of Finance; Dr Effiom Ekpo; and Hon. Bassey Etim Okon, Coordinator, Akpabuyo.
Others include the Calabar Municipal Council Chapter Coordinator, Chief Effiong Etim Archibong; Chapter Secretary, Mr Dominic Edem; Chapter Women Mobilisers, Mrs Eta Larry; Chapter Youth Mobilisers, Effiong Etim Bassey; SA to the Governor on Tolls, Mr Bassey Ita (Baddest); and former Cross River House of Assembly member, Mr Efa Esua.
