By Kelvin Obambon
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial Candidate in Cross River Central, Hon. Oden Ewa, on Thursday, welcomed and received hundreds of defectors from Abi Local Government Area to Africa’s largest party.
The defectors, from various political wards across the local government area, gathered in Ugep for the official reception as part of the APC’s ongoing mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Addressing the defectors, Hon. Oden Ewa, on behalf of the Abi chapter chairman and all ward chairmen, assured the new members of equal rights and opportunity within the party structure.
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“We accept you wholeheartedly. And I’m doing this on behalf of our chapter chairman in Abi, and on behalf of all the ward chairmen, who will now interface with you going forward, so that they can give you the necessary baptism and guidance on how progressives operate,” Ewa told the crowd. “We don’t say you came today, or you came yesterday. Today that you have come, we assure you of equal rights and opportunity in the party.”
Describing the APC as the only party focused on genuine progress and change, Ewa linked the mass defection to ongoing developmental initiatives in Cross River. He specifically highlighted efforts to recover the state’s oil wells – a campaign championed by former Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly and APC House of Representatives Candidate for Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo.
The APC senatorial flag bearer addressed the large crowd made up of mostly young persons, urging them to reject delayed promises and embrace immediate opportunity.
“Your future is now,” Ewa declared. “We no longer want to make this thing business as usual. We want to send people who have what it takes to represent us… You have to be able to go and create value for thousands of these young people here.”
Contrasting the APC with opposition political parties, Ewa argued that the opposition lacked stability and leadership structure following recent defection of the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barr. Vena Ikem.
“The other party is headless. Their chairman just left. Just like that. Does that even show people who are organised? This is time for serious governance,” he stated.
The senatorial candidate called on both the new defectors and the wider electorate to support APC candidates at all levels, urging voters to re-elect the governor and president alongside candidates running for legislative seats across the district.
In attendance at the event was Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo, APC House of Representatives Candidate for Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency.
