…Appointment signals President’s recognition of region’s political weight, say backers
Hon. Barr. Eyo Nsa Ekpo, Chairman of the Cross River State Consultative Forum (CRSCF), has been named Secretary of the Directorate, Contact and Mobilisation, South-South, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, in an appointment that places the region’s grassroots machinery squarely in his hands ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The announcement, conveyed in a statement issued in Calabar and signed by CRSCF Treasurer Sir Maurice Effiwatt and Secretary Dr. Julius Okputu, positions Ekpo as a principal coordinator of the ruling party’s contact and mobilisation architecture across the six states of the South-South geopolitical zone — Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers.
Scope of the Mandate
According to the statement, Ekpo’s responsibilities will include building strategic relationships across the region, coordinating grassroots engagement, and ensuring that the message of the Renewed Hope Agenda reaches every community in the zone.
READ ALSO: Directorate of Critical National Assets seeks collaboration with NUJ on infrastructure protection
The assignment is widely regarded as one of the more consequential campaign roles in the South-South, a region that has historically determined the outcome of national elections through its voting strength and its strategic economic importance as Nigeria’s oil-producing heartland.
The CRSCF described the appointment as “a clear testament to the sterling qualities of a man who has committed his life to the service of the people of Cross River State and the advancement of progressive politics in Nigeria,” adding that his years of grassroots engagement, community development and political mobilisation had prepared him for the national assignment.
A Signal of Inclusive Leadership
The group further noted that the appointment reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive leadership and his recognition of the human capital and political significance of the South-South.
It said the decision aligns with the President’s broader vision of constructing a broad-based, people-centred campaign that speaks to every Nigerian, in every language and in every community — a framing that suggests the ruling party intends to compete vigorously in a region where opposition sentiment has traditionally run deep.
Regional Implications
For the APC, the choice of Ekpo carries both symbolic and practical weight. Symbolically, it elevates a Cross River politician with deep local roots into a zonal leadership position. Practically, it hands the party’s mobilisation apparatus to a figure whose network spans the 18 local government areas of his home state and, by extension, the wider South-South.
The CRSCF said it had “no doubt” that Ekpo would discharge the responsibility with the same integrity, competence and passion that have defined his leadership of the forum.
The group also reaffirmed its support for President Tinubu’s re-election and for Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s second term, calling on its members, coordinators across the 18 local government areas, and the people of Cross River State to extend the same support to Ekpo in his new role.
“Together, we will work to deliver victory for the APC in 2027,” the statement said.
