By Kelvin Obambon
The political landscape of Cross River is set for a major shift as the “Prince Is Coming” Movement announced a mega rally to formally endorse Governor Bassey Edet Otu and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for second terms in office.
The announcement was made during a press conference in Calabar on Wednesday, led by the Director General of the movement and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Emmanuel Ironbar, alongside the movement’s Secretary, Barr. Ekpenyong Akiba and other members.
Hon. Ironbar, while tracing the history of the movement, described “Prince Is Coming” as a philosophy born out of the “pains and sacrifices” of the 2015 political season. He noted that the movement was established to challenge political impunity and has now evolved into a state-wide vehicle for good governance.
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“We saw people playing God and ignoring the cries of the masses,” Ironbar stated. “We rejected that narrative and focused on 2019 and 2023. Today, we speak with confidence because the man we brought, Governor Bassey Otu, has truly changed the narrative.”
Ironbar highlighted several milestones of the current administration, including the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of over 900 kilometers of roads, significant improvements in the health and education sectors, and the restoration of street lighting across the state. He specifically lauded the Governor’s “silent achiever” approach, noting that Otu prefers tangible results over media hype.
The Chief of Staff also stressed the strong relationship between Governor Otu and President Bola Tinubu, which he credited for the approval of the Bakassi Deep Seaport and the inclusion of Cross River in the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
“The President has approved Cross River’s Deep Seaport because of who is in charge – our Governor. Cross River will no longer be seen as a civil service state, but as an industrial and economic hub,” Ironbar added.
Giving more details about the upcoming event, the Secretary of the movement and Chairman of Media and Publicity, Barr. Ekpenyong Akiba, revealed that the mega rally is scheduled for Saturday, 18 of April, 2026. The event, according to him, aims to gather 1.5 million supporters to openly endorse both the President and the Governor.
Akiba stated that the rally is “self-sponsored” by members and friends of the movement, describing it as a “reciprocation for gestures in leadership.” He further noted that the event would witness mass defections from the APC’s main rivals, the PDP and Labour Party.
“In Cross River State today, we are an operation ‘no other political party.’ Other parties have no business here because the facts of performance are clear,” Akiba asserted. He pointed to the reclamation of state assets like the Tinapa Resort, Obudu Cattle Ranch, and various rubber estates as evidence of Otu’s commitment to restoring the state’s lost glory.
The movement announced a high-powered Central Planning Committee to oversee the rally, with the Chairman of Obudu heading the committee and Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, serving as Chairman of the Advisory Committee.
The group urged Cross Riverians to remain focused and avoid “political distractions,” maintaining that the Otu-Tinubu partnership is the surest path to transforming Cross River into a competing force alongside states like Lagos and Abuja.
