By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Nine lawyers who are members of the 10th Cross River State Assembly, CRHA, from the Cross River Southern district have passed a vote of confidence in the state governor, Bassey Otu, endorsing him as the preferred choice for second term in 2027.
The endorsement was spearheaded by the lawyers during a media parley with journalists at the Ernest Bassey Press Centre, Calabar on Wednesday evening.
In a statement read before journalists in Calabar yesterday, the chairman of the caucus and House Leader, who represents Odukpani state constituency Hon. Francis Asuquo, said, “We, the representatives of the nine state constituencies in the Southern senatorial district of Cross River State, have passed a vote of confidence 8n Governor Otu.”
The group averred that Cross River State under the Otu-administration has significantly improved its internally generated revenue, IGR, by 60.6 per cent – N36.3 billion between June 2023 and May 2024, a stride which the caucus said it is proud of.
It added, “We, representatives of Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Biase, Calabar South 1, Calabar South 2, Calabar Municipal, and Odukpani, hereby pass a vote of confidence in Governor Bassey Otu, in recognition of his remarkable achievements since assumption of office.
“After an unbiased assessment of governance in Cross River State since 1998, we conclude that Governor Otu’s administration, in comparison with the achievements in first two years of former governors’ first terms, has made significant strides in infrastructure development, economic policies, human capital development, peace, and security.
“We declare, unequivocally, that he is our only choice for next term as governor of Cross River State, to continue from 2027 to 2031.
“We appeal to every other potential gubernatorial aspirant not to hope on us, but to please decline such aspiration and join forces to support Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu for a second term.
“On behalf of our constituents and constituencies, we, individually and collectively, as the 10th Assembly Southern Caucus, hereby call on Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu to accept, at the right time, to harken to our clarion call to re-contest for the governorship, come 2027.”
