By Frank Ulom
The National Patriotic Front for Tinubu (NPFFT) has called on the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to exercise restraint and caution in his public statements concerning Cross River State.
The group made the call in a statement signed by its Director-General, Castro Ezama, amid what it described as concerns over remarks and narratives attributed to Akpabio which it said were being perceived in Cross River State as provocative and divisive.
According to the NPFFT, such rhetoric could unnecessarily strain the longstanding relationship between Cross River and neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.
The group said its intervention was intended to prevent political rhetoric from degenerating into hostility between the two states, whose people share historical, cultural, economic and social ties.
“Cross River State is a peaceful and hospitable component of the Nigerian federation, and its people deserve respect, fairness and responsible representation at all levels of government,” the group said.
The NPFFT argued that political disagreements, personal rivalries or electoral considerations should not result in rhetoric capable of creating the impression that Cross River State or its people were being deliberately targeted.
It urged Akpabio, as President of the Senate and a senior national political leader, to exercise “the highest degree of restraint and caution” in statements relating to Cross River State.
The group said statements from holders of high constitutional offices could influence public perception and potentially deepen political tensions, particularly where comments were misunderstood or taken out of context.
The NPFFT also warned against allowing political disagreements to assume an ethnic, regional or state-versus-state dimension.
It stressed that Cross River and Akwa Ibom were “sister states” with longstanding relationships and argued that their people had more in common than political disagreements might suggest.
The group called on political leaders to promote reconciliation, inclusion and statesmanship, saying political competition remained legitimate in a democracy but should not be used to denigrate another state, community or group.
It also appealed to Cross Riverians to remain calm and law-abiding, particularly in response to provocative statements and viral videos circulating on social media.
“We must not allow provocative statements, viral videos circulating on social media to push our people into unnecessary confrontation,” the statement said.
At the same time, the NPFFT said calmness should not be interpreted as weakness, maintaining that Cross Riverians had the right to defend their dignity through legitimate, constitutional and peaceful means.
It called for any genuine grievances to be addressed through dialogue, public accountability and appropriate democratic institutions.
The organisation further appealed to political actors across the South-South region to avoid rhetoric capable of creating divisions ahead of the 2027 political season.
It said the region needed cooperation, development and mutual respect rather than avoidable political hostility.
The NPFFT urged Akpabio to use his position to strengthen the relationship between the people of Cross River and Akwa Ibom rather than weaken existing bonds.
The group reaffirmed its support for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and said it remained committed to national unity, peaceful coexistence, fairness and responsible democratic leadership.
“Cross River State deserves respect. Akwa Ibom State deserves respect. The South-South deserves peace. Nigeria deserves responsible leadership,” the group said.
The NPFFT further called for dialogue, statesmanship and unity in place of division, provocation and political bitterness.
