By Kelvin Obambon
The political landscape witnessed a major shift on Monday as the Coalition of Cross River State Youths (COCRISY) formally inaugurated its executive council and declared its total support for the second-term bids of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Bassey Edet Otu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The event, held in Calabar, the state capital, drew youth leaders and stakeholders from across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state. It featured the official inauguration of the Director General, Hon. Etem Okimba; Exco members, and local government coordinators.
In his welcome remarks, Hon. Magnus Ntui, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment and Waste Management, described the gathering as a “union of like minds” dedicated to progress and good leadership. He explained that the initiative is designed to bridge the gap between the government’s policies and the grassroots.
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“The President of this country is doing his best to make sure that we enjoy the dividends of democracy. Likewise in our state, the Governor is also complementing what the President is doing,” Ntui stated. He added that the youth are the “energy to drive this process” and must consolidate on the achievements recorded over the past three years.
Speaking shortly after his inauguration, the Director General of the Coalition, Hon. Etem Okimba, asserted that the group’s primary objective is the 2027 adoption and endorsement of both Tinubu and Otu. He explained that the Coalition transcends partisan lines, bringing together youths from the ADC, SDP, Labour Party, and PDP to support the current administration.
“I had to spread my tentacles to ADC, SDP, Labour Party, and PDP to bring youth that are like minds to support the APC government,” Okimba said. “In this very administration, and in this our Coalition, we don’t just do party, we do individual. And the people we have chosen and we want to support is the Governor and the President.”
He also pointed out that the Coalition of Cross River State Youths is uniquely self-funded and resilient. “The mobilizations, the demobilizations, and everything that happened here was done by the youth themselves. We didn’t seek for any support from anywhere. We are sure and we are resilient that we can be in the front line of this very campaign,” Okimba noted.
Comrade Ita Agbor, Coordinator for Calabar Municipality, speaking on behalf of the newly inaugurated local government coordinators, clarified that youth development is inseparable from political participation.
“If you stand on the sidelines, of course you are not expecting any reward,” Agbor said. “The core essence is to ensure that the youths are carried along adequately in every aspect of youth development. We must support a system that makes it work.”
He further urged Cross Riverians to support the APC-led administration while maintaining a commitment to peaceful engagement, stating, “ensure again that our support is devoid of violence and campaign of calumny.”
The event also saw the presence of several student leaders and activists, including Comrade Ekpo Tete, the President of the Post Graduate Students Union Government at the University of Calabar.
Highlight of the ceremony was a unanimous voice vote adopting President Tinubu and Governor Otu as the coalition’s preferred candidates for the 2027 elections, followed by the formal presentation of the newly inaugurated Exco members with certificates of office.
