Ukorebi Esien | August 19, 2026
CALABAR — Ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Cross River State, the administration of Governor Bassey Otu has challenged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, to a public debate on policies, programmes and the performance of the present administration.
The challenge was thrown by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, who accused opposition politicians of engaging in personal attacks instead of offering concrete alternatives to the policies and programmes of the Otu administration.
Cobham spoke yesterday during a media briefing at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre, Calabar, where he responded to criticisms of the governor by opposition figures ahead of the 2027 election.
The commissioner said the opposition should raise the level of political discourse in the state by confronting the government with facts and offering alternative solutions rather than resorting to what he described as “rudimentary” political engagement.
He said: “Let them call us for a debate. Let them try and raise the bar, educate themselves to the strata we are operating on.”
According to him, the coming election should be about policies, programmes and measurable achievements rather than personal attacks on individuals.
Cobham, who said he had previously worked in opposition politics, added that he understood the role of opposition and was therefore prepared to engage critics of the administration.
“I have been in opposition. I was DG, Director General of APC's leadership campaign, and I understand what opposition means,” he said.
He challenged opposition politicians to identify areas where the Otu administration had failed and present their arguments before the people.
“Reel out what you think the government has not been able to achieve. Come up with strong reasons, and let us engage,” he said.
The commissioner also defended the governor's frequent engagements with the Federal Government, arguing that Cross River could not achieve major development objectives without sustained engagement with the centre.
He said critics who faulted the governor for spending time outside the state failed to appreciate the workings of Nigeria's federal system and the importance of securing federal support for state development.
Cobham further pointed to the state's recent emergence as an oil-producing state as one of the developments, which, according to him, demonstrated the direction of the Otu administration.
He said the government was positioning Cross River for greater economic opportunities and urged opposition politicians to engage such issues rather than focus on personal attacks.
The commissioner said the administration was ready to defend its record before Cross Riverians, insisting that the 2027 contest should provide voters with competing visions and programmes for the state's future.
The challenge comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with Archibong emerging as one of the prominent opposition voices challenging Otu's record. Recent public commentary on the coming election has increasingly framed the contest around the incumbent's performance and the opposition's ability to offer a credible alternative.
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