By Otunba Sylvan Ikpó
The 2027 governorship election presents the opposition with a rare opportunity to dislodge the APC from the Government House in Calabar. Governor Prince Bassey Edet Otu faces the challenge of convincing Cross Riverians that his administration deserves another mandate.
Meanwhile, the PDP, traditionally the major opposition platform in the state, is weakened by internal divisions and the lingering influence of the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike. Its governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, therefore faces an uphill task of rebuilding the party’s political strength.
This should have been the NDC’s moment to emerge as a formidable alternative. Unfortunately, the party appears to have squandered that opportunity.
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By presenting Mr John Upan Odey, a relatively unknown candidate from the Northern Senatorial District, the NDC may have underestimated the political dynamics of Cross River 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 build a credible statewide political movement.
Gubernatorial campaigns should ordinarily provide the foundation for a party’s statewide mobilisation. Yet, the NDC’s visibility in Cross River raises serious questions.
Has the party established a campaign council? Are there functional structures across the 18 LGAs? What is its grassroots mobilisation strategy?
More importantly, can Mr John Upan Odey effectively lead the NDC’s campaign across the Southern and Central Senatorial Districts? Can he command political attention in Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Odukpani, Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Biase and Akamkpa?
These are fundamental questions about political reach, acceptability and electoral preparedness.
The NDC had a golden opportunity to position itself as the credible alternative in Cross River State. With a vulnerable incumbent government and a fractured PDP, the political opening was there for the taking.
Unfortunately, poor political calculations, questionable candidate positioning and the apparent absence of an effective campaign structure may have cost the party that opportunity.
Cross River State was ripe for a new political alternative. The question is whether the NDC has the leadership, strategy and organisational capacity to seize the moment before it is too late.
