Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) State Governorship Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections with a charge on members to woo voters with facts, verifiable achievements, and a clear vision for the future.
Key Highlights
- Governor Otu inaugurates APC State Governorship Campaign Council for 2027 elections.
- Members told to take the administration’s scorecard to all 18 LGAs and electoral wards, and avoid mudslinging.
- Domestic debt cut from over N204 billion to about N132 billion as of March 2026, without fresh commercial loans.
- IGR rose from N21.1 billion in 2022 to N46 billion in 2024.
- Over 3,000 local government workers reinstated; first tranche of long-pending pension gratuities cleared.
He told members of the council to take the administration’s scorecard to all 18 local government areas and electoral wards in the state.
The governor advised the council members to act as true ambassadors of continuity and to steer clear of mudslinging, while aggressively publicising his administration’s multifaceted milestones.
Governor Otu reflected on the trajectory of his administration since assuming office on May 29, 2023, noting that his first term successfully navigated severe fiscal hurdles to lay a durable foundation for development.
Debt Reduction, Rising IGR
Detailing the financial state of the state at inception, the governor disclosed that his administration inherited a domestic debt profile exceeding N204 billion.
He said: “Without taking on fresh commercial loans, the government has successfully slashed the liability by over N70 billion, bringing outstanding domestic debt down to approximately N132 billion as of March 2026.
“This fiscal discipline ran parallel with a surge in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), which climbed from N21.1 billion in 2022 to N31.56 billion in 2023, and further advanced to N46 billion in 2024.”
Furthermore, the governor said the state recovered critical public assets, including Tinapa, while aggressively pursuing the recovery of the state’s oil interests and the Bakassi Deep Seaport project.
Governor Otu underscored his administration’s strict adherence to project continuity, ensuring that inherited and ongoing ventures, such as the Obudu Cargo Airport, Obudu Ranch Resort, the Ranch Dual Carriageway, and the College of Education initiative, were sustained, while Public-Private Partnerships have also been leveraged to concession the government garment factory and the Obudu Ranch to boost employment.
Read also:
- Governor Otu Presents 2027 Budget Of N987.8bn, Allocates N11.8bn To Tourism
- Cross River Northern Senatorial Stakeholders Back Otu’s Second-Term Bid, Seek Bloc Votes For Tinubu
- 2027: Gov. Otu calls for unity, reconciliation as APC unveils candidates in Cross River
Security, Welfare And Agriculture
On security, Otu noted substantial improvements along the flashpoint Calabar-Ogoja Highway through upgraded logistics, boundary-monitoring drones, and synergy with security agencies.
In terms of human capital development and welfare, he disclosed that the administration successfully reinstated over 3,000 local government workers onto the payroll and cleared the first tranche of prolonged pension gratuities pending for nearly two decades.
Highlighting economic diversification, the governor pointed to heavy investments in agricultural value chains, including cocoa, rice, potatoes, palm produce, and cassava, bolstered by the distribution of modern farm tools and improved seedlings.
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