Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s 2027 re-election bid received a fresh grassroots boost in Abia Community, Etung Local Government Area, on 3rd September, as Dr. Nji Patrick Nji took the administration’s “Season of Sweetness” to the people through sports, empowerment, cultural celebration and community engagement.
The usually quiet St. Francis Primary School playground was transformed into a lively gathering of youths, women, traditional and community leaders, political associates, government appointees and residents, with the activities providing a platform to celebrate the community while reinforcing support for Governor Otu’s return for another four-year term.
The gathering, organised by Nji, a Director in the State Road Maintenance Agency and an appointee of Governor Otu, featured the finale of the “The Prince Is Coming Again” Unity Football Tournament, alongside a series of interventions designed to give practical expression to the Governor’s People First philosophy at the grassroots.
Before the football final commenced, the Political Leader of Abia Ward and a Director in the Ikom Urban Development Authority, Hon. Bishop Christian Achor Agbor, led Nji and his delegation on a traditional new-yam visit to the Chiefs and women of Abia Community. The visit provided an opportunity to honour the community’s traditional institutions and women while strengthening the relationship between its political leadership and the people.
In the spirit of the new-yam celebration, Nji also supported the Chiefs and women of Abia with ₦400,000 to enable them mark the festival. The gesture, coupled with the traditional entertainment provided for the community, including the slaughtering of a cow and a ram, added a strong cultural dimension to the gathering and further underscored the emphasis on community inclusion.
The football tournament, organised around age grades, brought young people together in healthy competition while promoting unity and peaceful coexistence. Its theme, “The Prince Is Coming Again,” also carried a political message of continuity and grassroots support for Governor Otu as the 2027 elections draw closer.
In the keenly contested final, Ekan Njinor defeated Ekan Offah 4-2 on penalties to emerge champions, while Ekan Attu Atem finished third. The winning team received ₦300,000, the runners-up ₦150,000, while the third-placed team received ₦100,000. The prizes provided additional encouragement for the youths who participated in the tournament.
The “Season of Sweetness” took another practical form when Nji gave ₦15,000 each to 30 petty traders in the community. The intervention, amounting to ₦450,000, offered the beneficiaries modest but meaningful capital to support their businesses and livelihoods, reinforcing the message that grassroots political engagement should be accompanied by tangible concern for the welfare of ordinary citizens.
For the traders and their families, the support went beyond the political symbolism of the occasion. It offered immediate assistance to people whose small businesses provide daily sustenance, while demonstrating how Nji was translating the People First philosophy of the Otu administration into direct community-level intervention.
The gesture extended to the recognition of community loyalty when Nji presented a motorcycle to Mr. Ekuri Ejie Ogar, popularly known as Parando, a political stalwart recognised for his consistency and commitment to the affairs of Abia Community despite years of political turbulence. Nji described the motorcycle as his modest way of appreciating Ogar’s dedication while giving him better mobility for his community engagements.
Performing the ceremonial kick-off of the football final, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Asset Management and Recovery, Barr. Gilbert Agbor, commended Nji for taking Governor Otu’s People First mantra to the grassroots. He said initiatives that empower citizens, promote unity and give people a sense of belonging complement the administration’s broader development agenda and can deepen grassroots support for the Governor’s re-election.
Elder statesman and special guest at the event, Ntufam Gabe Odu Oji, also applauded Nji for remembering his people and bringing the community together. He said genuine leadership was demonstrated by remaining connected to the people and contributing meaningfully to their welfare, unity and happiness.
The event attracted a strong representation of Etung political and community leadership, friends, associates and government appointees, including Bishop Christian Achor Agbor; Barr. Gilbert Agbor; Ntufam Gabe Odu Oji; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media Research, Ms. Modlin Odu; Supervisor for Finance, Etung, Mr. John Ogar; Supervisor for Agriculture, Mr. Collins Asu Bassey; Supervisor for Transport, Mr. Bright Ntui; Special Assistant on Sports, Mr. Egbe Manyo; and Dr. Kajogbola Gbenga, Chief Medical Director, ASI UKPO Comprehensive Cancer Center, Calabar, E-NET, E-WIP, Amazon Ladies, among others.
For Abia Community, the significance of September 3 lay in the convergence of politics, culture and practical community support. From the new-yam visit to the Chiefs and women, to the ₦400,000 festival support, the ₦450,000 distributed among petty traders, the football prizes, the motorcycle presented to a community loyalist and the provision of food and entertainment, the day offered a tangible expression of the “Season of Sweetness” at the grassroots.
As the gathering wound down at St. Francis Primary School, the message behind “The Prince Is Coming Again” had become more than a football slogan. In Abia Community, it had become a grassroots expression of support for Governor Otu’s 2027 re-election, with Nji and community leaders demonstrating how political mobilisation can be intertwined with culture, youth engagement, empowerment and practical gestures of care for the people.
By Kingsley Agim
