…Northern Cross River Will Reject Otu’s Re-Election Bid
… Ayade Family Deserves Respect From Otu
The deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, has launched a scathing attack on Governor Bassey Otu, accusing the administration of poor performance, neglect of key projects, and alienation of political stakeholders, particularly in Northern Cross River.
The former APC state chairman, who said he played a prominent role in the political events that led to Otu’s emergence as governor, said the governor has failed to build on the achievements of his predecessor, former Governor Ben Ayade, and should render an account of his stewardship to Cross Riverians.
In this interview with Isuma Mark of THE WHISTLER, he explains why he parted ways with the APC, why he believes the PDP can reclaim power in 2027, and why accountability will be at the centre of the next electoral contest.
Excerpt
What is your assessment of Governor Bassey Otu’s administration in the last three years?
My assessment of the performance of the governor in the last three years will be nothing different from what the majority of Cross Riverians are saying. Mr. Governor, show us your scorecard.
We are aware that in three years, you have earned five, six, or seven times what your immediate predecessor earned. Even if inflation has eroded part of it, the value still stands far above what your predecessor earned.
If the immediate past governor, who was more focused on industrialisation, was able to establish 10, 15, or 20 industries, then we expect that those industries should at least have been maintained.
People are worried. How come the Ogoja rice mill that we were benefiting from has gone silent for three years? We are in a period when the administration of His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has focused heavily on rice production. The Ogoja rice mill would have helped turn the corner of the agro-industrial economy in Cross River State. Mr. Governor, why has it been neglected?
I speak on this issue because I know the history of that project. As DG of Due Process in 2015, the former governor, Professor Ben Ayade, mandated me to locate land that would serve both Ogoja and Yala, knowing that both areas produce rice in commercial quantities.
I worked on acquiring the site. I cleared the land, removed the oil palms there, and even spent my own money to facilitate the process before the contractor came on site. The government later paid compensation to the affected communities in Yala and Ogoja.
I dwell on the rice project because I know how much it could have contributed to the future of Cross River State.
Not just that. There was the tomato processing plant at Okuku with a 30,000-metric-tonne capacity. I tasted products from that facility. There was also a toothpick factory in Yakurr. Nigeria still imports toothpicks and pencils, and the state had enough bamboo resources to sustain that industry.
In Obubra, we had a cassava syrup factory that was almost completed, with equipment installed. What is its condition today?
In Akamkpa, we had the pipe and nylon factory. I took special interest in that project because it was expected to reduce costs significantly. I still see some activity there and commend whatever role both the former and present administrations may have played in keeping it going.
Then there is Tertiary Education Trust College (TETC) in Biase. What we hear daily is complaints about poor funding. In this age of digital literacy, one would expect greater investment in such an institution.
Consider the so-called spaghetti flyover. Whatever name people choose to call it, it serves an important transportation function in Calabar.
Professor Ayade also dualised a major stretch of road and created an industrial hub along the Goodluck Jonathan Bypass. There were garment factories employing thousands of Cross Riverians, the rice seedling factory, the pharmaceutical company, and several other industries.
I cannot understand why, three years into a government that promised continuity, many of these initiatives appear neglected.
I also urged the present governor to continue the human capital development programme because it was one of the few ways ordinary Cross Riverians directly benefited from the government. Thousands received employment opportunities, while many households received monthly support that helped them survive difficult economic periods.
In specific terms, what is your grouse with the Out administration when you served as the APC chairman in the state after serving the state under Ayade administration. Should you complain because the Ayade government gave birth to the Out administration.
We went through very challenging times during Ayade’s administration, including economic hardship and the COVID-19 period. When we left the PDP for the APC, we did so largely because we wanted to protect the zoning arrangement in Cross River State. We believed external political pressures were threatening that arrangement, and we wanted Senator Prince Bassey Otu to emerge as governor.
We supported him without conditions. All we wanted was development for Cross River State. If Ayade could embark on an ambitious road project connecting communities through Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarra, Obudu, and Obanliku, then all that remained for the present administration was to complete the unfinished sections.
I repeatedly appealed that attention be given to the roads affecting my area. I was never asking for special treatment. I simply wanted commitments already made to be fulfilled. The condition of the roads remains painful. I worked hard for this government and expected progress in those areas.
Take the Yache Road and the Akreha Bridge. Senator Professor Stephen Odey championed that project for years. The former governor approved it, but funding challenges slowed progress. When Governor Bassey Otu assumed office, he visited the area, saw the condition of the road, and made commitments regarding its rehabilitation and completion.
On several occasions, I wrote passionate appeals concerning the road. Each time I was assured it would be done. Yet the problem remains unresolved. The situation became especially painful because earlier construction activities damaged portions of the area and created erosion problems. Residents blamed me because I had been associated with the project.
That is why I continue to express my disappointment. It is not a drama. It is genuine pain. You may recall the controversy where it was alleged that money was offered to me. I stand by what I said then. Whatever money was allegedly meant for me should have been used to construct roads. I cannot sell my conscience.
Equipment was moved to the Imaje Road area with assurances that work would commence, yet nothing happened. I also secured intervention projects through the NDDC, including solar lighting and road support for my community. Some of those projects were executed, but payment issues remained unresolved.
I even secured another intervention project for the road, yet obstacles continued to arise. My advice to the governor remains the same: manage this transition period carefully. It is a difficult time for everyone. Neither the governor nor most elected representatives can honestly claim overwhelming success under the current circumstances.
However, where progress has been made, it should be acknowledged. My concern has always been the Cross River State, its development, and the welfare of its people. That is why I continue to ask: after three years in office, where is the scorecard?
At what point did you fall out with Governor Otu?
I became worried because my loyalty and gratitude to Professor Ben Ayade were being misinterpreted. Some people could not distinguish gratitude from political disloyalty. That misunderstanding led to actions that have now brought consequences upon them.
Romans 13:1–7 speaks about loyalty to those in authority. Ayade is no longer in authority. However, Luke 17:11–19 teaches gratitude. When Christ healed ten lepers, only one returned to give thanks. I will always be that one person who returns to show gratitude.
When the former governor came to attend the wedding of the governor’s stepson, I suggested that he be properly received. The governor supported the idea. I organized the reception with my personal resources and was overwhelmed by the turnout. I did not realize how loved Professor Ayade remained. More than half the people who attended were not mobilized by me.
I was simply showing gratitude to a man who made me Director General of Due Process and later State Chairman of the party, positions that eventually contributed to my appointment as Chairman of a Governing Board by President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
I was enjoying God’s grace, yet I felt I was unfairly pushed down. But God lifted me again, and I found myself in the PDP as a deputy governorship candidate. Some people now act as though I am personally contesting against Governor Bassey Otu. That is not true. My party has its own candidate. My concern is performance and accountability.
I have no quarrel with Deputy Governor Peter Odey. He remains my friend, and I have always considered him a good and loyal man. In fact, while I was still in the APC, I publicly endorsed both the governor and deputy governor for office.
The issue arose when the governor changed his position regarding Professor Ayade’s senatorial ambition. I knew from the body language of those around him that things had changed. I approached him privately and sought clarification. I know what happened, and at the appropriate time, I will speak about it.
I have also spoken about an incident in which individuals allegedly attempted to attack me. My ambition will never make me desperate enough to shed blood. I leave judgment to God and pray for His protection and justice.
I have been an activist from a young age. Even as a primary school pupil, I challenged school policies that I believed were unfair. Later, I became involved in youth activism, student unionism, legal activism, and political activism.
I am not merely a politician. I consider myself an activist. Many damaging things have been said about me, and I intend to address them one by one. No one can defend me better than I can defend myself. The governor fundamentally misunderstood my gratitude toward Professor Ayade and interpreted it as disloyalty. I knew he did not want Ayade to return to the Senate, but he was unwilling to state it openly.
I even offered to personally persuade the former governor not to contest because I did not want him subjected to humiliation. Yet the treatment that followed was unfair and disrespectful. We left the PDP for the APC because we believed in a political project and were willing to make sacrifices for it. Many people suffered politically because of that decision. We expected a better outcome.
We are not on a vengeance mission. Vengeance belongs to God. The governor accused me of sponsoring negative reports against his administration. I categorically deny that allegation. Let anyone involved speak for themselves.
I was also accused of stealing a generator that I had purchased with my own resources for a government project that had not been fully paid for. I moved the generator for safekeeping, yet the allegation was made against me.
I repeatedly advised the governor to first accommodate loyal APC members before appointing people who had opposed the party. I also appealed for National Assembly members and party stakeholders to be given a sense of belonging.
After the local government elections, I met stakeholders across Abuja. Very few had positive things to say about the administration. I am not someone who pretends otherwise.
Another allegation concerns NorthFest. I was the principal organizer of that cultural festival. The objective was to establish a Northern Senatorial District cultural carnival similar to those held in other parts of Cross River State. I invested personal resources in acquiring and preparing land for government use. I paid compensation where necessary and worked to ensure the success of the initiative.
At one point, there was a dispute involving yam purchases from farmers. Opponents attempted to use the matter against me. The issue eventually reached public scrutiny, and I explained my role fully. Out of hundreds of participating farmers, only a handful raised complaints. Nevertheless, the controversy discouraged me, and I withdrew from the initiative. NorthFest eventually ended. The result is that many farmers lost an important avenue for economic support and market access.
As DG of Due Process, I am prepared to account for every action I took. I have appeared before the EFCC on several occasions regarding government activities during the Ayade administration. Every document bearing my signature can be defended. I never approved anything without being satisfied that it complied with due process.
Investigators reviewed the records and found no evidence of wrongdoing on my part. The office handled relatively modest operational expenditures, including training, printing, office administration, and issuance of certificates. I never collected bribes from anyone. If anyone alleges misconduct against me, they should provide evidence.
Recently, the governor stated that he rejected enormous bribes connected to the state’s oil wells. I support the governor’s fight to recover Cross River’s oil wells, but I believe the public deserves to know who allegedly offered such bribes. Transparency requires accountability.
Cross Riverians increasingly say they no longer recognize the governor they once knew. I feel the same way. The governor I knew was approachable and humble. Something appears to have changed. I ask him to reflect carefully on the path he is taking. He is naturally a gentle and persuasive person, but many people now perceive bitterness in his actions and relationships.
Why is there so much hostility toward those who supported him? Why is there hostility toward anything associated with the Ayade administration? I remain grateful to the Ayade family. That gratitude does not mean I am dependent on them. Before entering government, I was already an established legal practitioner. I owned property, had a successful practice, and was financially stable.
I did not enter the government in poverty, and I am prepared to account for everything I did while in office.
What we demand from Governor Otu is accountability, integrity, and transparency. The allegations that I embezzled money will become an issue during this political season because those who made the accusations must prove them. I intend to clear my name publicly and completely.
That is why I remain confident. Those who made these allegations are now dealing with the consequences of their actions.
What do you mean now dealing with the consequences of their actions?
Many of the chapter chairmen and secretaries who were misled did not return. Most members of the State Executive Committee did not return. Even the zonal officer did not return. Look at me. Do I look like a man who is unhappy where he is today? Of all of us, I am the happiest. The governor himself knows he is not a happy person because he has used his own hands to destroy himself.
Let him go to God for forgiveness. Let him sit quietly and reflect. I have heard that he feels bad about how he treated me and is looking for a way to make amends. I hold nothing against him. I did not ask to run for deputy governor. God simply used the PDP and I must thank the national leadership of the party, especially His Excellency Nyesom Wike, Professor Sandy Onoh, and our governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis. Sir Arthur Jarvis is a refined, intelligent entrepreneur with a good family and business background. We are committed to one term of four years.
I heard the governor say nobody can truncate zoning. I stood firmly for zoning. If not for zoning, he would not be governor today. I was one of those who helped resolve the issues surrounding his clearance before the APC primaries. He should check the message I sent him on 25 May 2022 and the conversations we had at the time.
The final clearance that paved the way for Governor Otu to become the party’s candidate came on 25 May 2022.
I advised the former governor and party leaders on the legal and political steps necessary to resolve the situation. Several leaders played important roles, including Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, Minister Edem Duke, Higgins Peters, and others. We all worked together because we believed he was the party’s preferred candidate and that zoning should be respected.
As state chairman, I was bound by party decisions and by loyalty to the leadership. My personal preferences were secondary to the collective decision of the party. A week before the primaries, I discovered there were issues concerning the governor’s clearance. I immediately intervened because the National Working Committee had already agreed on a position. I took steps to ensure that the matter was brought back before the NWC for final resolution. The NWC eventually met, ratified the decision, and the governor emerged as the party’s candidate.
I coordinated party officials, ensured the process moved forward, and worked tirelessly to make sure the party’s consensus candidate emerged. Those who should have been angry with me at the time were other aspirants whose ambitions were affected by my loyalty to the party’s decision. I have since apologized to some of them because I was acting in loyalty to the system. What pains me today is that after all those efforts, I was rewarded with humiliation, accusations, and public attacks.
You narrated how you facilitated the clearance of Out after he was rejected by the APC, was the issue related to allegations that the governor’s documents were fraudulent?
For now, I will reserve some of those details. The time will come when Cross Riverians will hear everything. The facts and documents are already with our campaign team. We have advised the governor to consider his position carefully because we believe serious issues remain unresolved.
Are you leveraging public anger over infrastructure failures, poor roads, unemployment, and dissatisfaction with the current administration to push him out?
No. We are not relying on anger. Truth speaks for itself. I am qualified to contest for the Senate. I am qualified to contest for governor. However, zoning does not favour me, and I have always respected zoning. One of the mistakes made in 2023 was underestimating how strongly Cross Riverians believed in the zoning arrangement. Respecting zoning gave us a significant political advantage.
Cross River has historically been a PDP state. We moved to the APC for strategic reasons, but the realities remain. People know my record. They know the challenges I have faced and how God has protected me through difficult situations.
When the PDP selected Sir Arthur Jarvis as its candidate, the party wanted someone with integrity, competence, and good character. They also wanted a running mate who would be fearless and courageous.
I have never been afraid to speak the truth. Professor Ayade himself repeatedly told Governor Otu that I was one of the few people who always told him the truth. When I was state chairman, I challenged decisions whenever I believed they were wrong. Several former government officials can attest to that. People sometimes misunderstand me because I speak plainly. But honesty has always been my strength.
God has chosen Arthur Jarvis and me for this assignment. We are not desperate. The people of Cross River will decide. We are not distributing money. We are not buying support.
Explain the allegation surrounding the missing fund when you were the APC Chairman.
Despite not receiving salaries for months, I still support orphans, maintain community projects, and continue helping people. Anyone who accuses me of stealing should take me to court. I am prepared to defend myself publicly. This is a season of accountability.
I have served as a teacher, lawyer, public official, and party chairman. My record is available for scrutiny. When allegations were made that I collected millions from party funds every month, I produced the party’s bank statements before the National Working Committee. The records disproved the allegations completely.
The NWC reviewed the evidence and found nothing incriminating against me. What saddened me most was not the attack against me personally, but the disrespect shown to Northern Cross River leaders and stakeholders. The North contributes significantly to election victories in the state and deserves respect.
Historically, the party chairmanship rotated among the three senatorial districts. When my tenure ended, another son of the North should have been considered. Instead, many of us felt ignored and marginalized.
Do you think these issues will affect the governor in 2027?
Of course they will. These are major political issues. Why should people continue supporting a leader who shows them no regard? Our people are not hungry people. They cannot be taken for granted. I will continue to lead from the front and tell the governor that performance matters. If he wants another term, he must show Cross Riverians what he has achieved.
We welcome any development projects he initiates now, but many people believe those efforts are coming only because politics has begun. The reconciliation efforts we see today may be too late. At the appropriate time, more details will be made public.
I Helped Make Otu Governor, Must Seek Forgiveness — PDP Dep Governorship Candidate is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
