By Otunba Sylvan Ikpó
The 2027 governorship election presents the opposition with a rare opportunity to challenge the APC’s hold on the Government House in Calabar. Governor Prince Bassey Edet Otu faces the task of convincing Cross Riverians that his administration deserves another mandate.
Meanwhile, the PDP, traditionally the major opposition platform in the state, appears to be grappling with internal political challenges and the implications of its national leadership divisions, including the influence of the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike. Its governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, therefore faces the considerable task of strengthening the party’s political appeal and rebuilding confidence among its supporters.
This should have been an opportunity for the NDC to emerge as a formidable alternative. However, the party’s current political positioning raises questions about whether it is making the most of the opening.
By presenting Mr John Upan Odey, a candidate from the Northern Senatorial District who has yet to establish significant statewide political visibility, the NDC may need to address concerns about its candidate’s reach and acceptability across the state. With 18 Local Government Areas spread across three Senatorial Districts, winning the governorship requires broad geographical acceptance, political visibility and an effective grassroots structure.
The 2023 presidential election demonstrated that Cross River voters are receptive to alternative political platforms. Peter Obi of the Labour Party secured 179,917 votes, defeating the APC’s 130,520 and the PDP’s 95,425. This should have encouraged the NDC to invest in building a credible statewide political movement capable of attracting voters beyond its immediate political base.
Governorship campaigns should ordinarily provide the foundation for a party’s statewide mobilisation. However, the level of the NDC’s political visibility in Cross River raises important questions.
Has the party established a campaign council? Are there functional structures across the 18 LGAs? What is its grassroots mobilisation strategy? How effectively is it engaging political stakeholders and potential supporters across the three Senatorial Districts?
More importantly, can Mr John Upan Odey effectively lead the NDC’s campaign across the Southern and Central Senatorial Districts? What strategies does he intend to deploy to attract political support in Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Odukpani, Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Biase and Akamkpa?
These are fundamental questions about political reach, acceptability and electoral preparedness that the party must address as the election approaches.
The NDC has an important opportunity to position itself as a credible alternative in Cross River State. With an incumbent government facing the responsibility of defending its record and a PDP contending with its own political challenges, the opposition has an opening to present a compelling alternative to the electorate.
However, the party’s ability to capitalise on this opportunity will depend on its political calculations, candidate positioning, leadership decisions and capacity to establish an effective campaign structure across the state.
Cross River State presents an opportunity for a credible political alternative. The question is whether the NDC has the leadership, strategy and organisational capacity to turn that opportunity into meaningful electoral support before it is too late.
CAVEAT: Views expressed in this opinion are those of the author, Otunba Sylvan Ikpó, and not of Converseer and or its staff.
