From Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
Political stakeholders in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State have declared their full support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Bassey Edet Otu in the 2027 general elections.
The stakeholders, comprising former and serving political office holders, elected representatives and government appointees, made the declaration during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Bakassi to review developments in the area and the prospects of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the elections.
The engagement began at the APC chapter secretariat before the stakeholders proceeded to the Local Government Council Secretariat, where they met with the Council Chairman, Hon. Effiong Etim Okon, alongside other political leaders, appointees and workers.
Speaking at the meeting, the pro tem leader of the Bakassi Elders’ Forum and former Deputy Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Patrick Antigha Ene, said their support for President Tinubu and Governor Otu was based on what he described as visible government interventions and renewed prospects for development in the area.
Ene cited the Federal Government’s support for the Bakassi Deep Seaport, noting that the project had reached an advanced stage, with stakeholders awaiting the formal announcement of the flag-off date.
He also highlighted the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a critical infrastructure project that would provide an important evacuation corridor for the proposed seaport.
According to him, the combination of the Deep Seaport and the coastal highway has the potential to transform the economic fortunes of Bakassi and Cross River State.
Ene further said the process of restoring Cross River State’s littoral status and recognising it as an oil-producing state, with the support of the Federal Government and the administration of Governor Otu, was also at an advanced stage.
“The restoration of our littoral status and the Deep Seaport will have far-reaching economic implications for our people. These are developments that can change the economic narrative of Bakassi and Cross River State,” Ene said.
The stakeholders also commended the improved security situation in Bakassi, saying it had created a more conducive environment for residents, businesses and potential investors.
Speaking on the development, Council Chairman Hon. Effiong Etim Okon said the improved security situation had significantly changed the atmosphere in the local government, noting that investors and residents were no longer compelled to leave the area because of fear.
“Investors and residents no longer flee out of fear. The council is also able to carry out its operations without the kind of interference from hoodlums that we experienced in the past,” Okon said.
The council chairman further pledged to lead the stakeholders on a tour of project sites across the local government to enable them to assess ongoing interventions and other development projects firsthand.
A serving member of the Cross River State House of Assembly also outlined constituency projects and empowerment initiatives being implemented to improve the welfare and economic opportunities of constituents.
The meeting, which brought together prominent political actors from Bakassi, ended with a renewed commitment to maintaining a united APC front and supporting all candidates of the party in the 2027 elections.
The stakeholders said their position was based on the development they had witnessed and the renewed hope among the people of Bakassi, particularly following years of displacement and developmental challenges.
