Tuesday, September 29, 2026, was a night of political realignment, consultation and renewed solidarity in Cross River State as leaders and stakeholders from Ikom, Boki, Obubra and Etung converged in Calabar under the Ikom-Boki-Obubra-Etung (IBOE) Alliance, declaring their resolve to consolidate their collective political strength ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The special dinner and strategic engagement with Governor Bassey Edet Otu, held at Hogis Hotels, Calabar, brought together political leaders, traditional rulers, community representatives, youths and other stakeholders from the four local government areas, turning what was billed as an engagement into a significant gathering around a common political direction.
At the heart of the meeting was a simple but consequential message: the four LGAs could achieve greater political influence by pooling their numerical strength, reconciling internal differences and speaking with one voice on issues affecting their people.
The alliance said that collective strength would be deployed towards supporting Governor Otu, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections, with speakers repeatedly calling for unity from the ward and village levels.
Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan-Enoh, described Ikom, Boki, Obubra and Etung as the “heart” of Cross River State, arguing that their geographical position, human resources, agricultural potential and diversity placed them in a strategic position within the state.
According to him, however, the political and developmental potential of the four LGAs had been weakened over the years by divisions that often prevented them from pursuing common interests.
“Development is unity. Unity is development,” Owan-Enoh declared, urging the people of the four LGAs to abandon divisive tendencies and build stronger relationships capable of producing tangible benefits for their communities.
He stressed that the IBOE Alliance was not intended to create a division within Cross River Central Senatorial District, but to strengthen cooperation among the four LGAs and enable them to make a more coordinated contribution to the development and political affairs of the district.
The chairman of the occasion, former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, described politics as a process of consultation, conversation and engagement, saying the peculiar political circumstances confronting the four LGAs required stakeholders to develop a common strategy.
Ndoma-Egba said the meeting was the beginning of a process of wider consultations through which the IBOE Alliance would identify its challenges, harmonise its interests and subsequently present its position to stakeholders across the Central Senatorial District.
For the traditional institutions, the gathering provided an opportunity to carry the message of unity beyond the venue. The Paramount Ruler of Etung, Ambassador Anthony Ntui Ettah, pledged to take the message to clan and village heads, while the Paramount Ruler of Ikom, HRH Minen Takon Atangba, welcomed the decision by the four LGAs to come together as one political bloc.
The Paramount Ruler of Boki, HRM Otu Fredalin, used the occasion to draw attention to the poor state of roads in Boki, saying the condition had continued to make movement and grassroots mobilisation difficult. He nevertheless expressed support for the call for political unity and continuity.
Chief Ernest Irek of Obubra also highlighted what he described as years of developmental deficits in his local government, particularly in roads, healthcare and other public infrastructure, arguing that greater political coordination was necessary for the area to secure increased attention.
A recurring theme throughout the evening was the role of young people in translating the alliance’s political message into grassroots action. Speakers called on youths to take ownership of the emerging political structure and participate actively in mobilisation across wards, clans and communities.
The gathering eventually moved from consultation to a formal political declaration when Hon. Kingsley Ntui Isong moved a motion endorsing Governor Otu, President Tinubu and APC candidates, with Samuel Neji Abang seconding the motion. The declaration was subjected to a voice vote conducted by Ndoma-Egba and received an overwhelming response from participants.
For the IBOE Alliance, however, the significance of the evening will ultimately be measured beyond the applause and declarations made inside the hotel.
The new political alignment, stakeholders said, would foster sustained grassroots organisation across the four LGAs, promote reconciliation among competing interests and strengthen coordination among political leaders, traditional institutions, youths and community structures ahead of the 2027 elections.
It is expected to take the message of unity beyond the walls of the hotel into wards, clans, villages, homes and communities, creating a more coordinated political structure capable of articulating the collective interests of Ikom, Boki, Obubra and Etung.
For now, however, the four LGAs have placed their political cards on the table. They have declared that their strength lies in unity, identified the political direction they intend to pursue and committed themselves to mobilising their combined political resources in support of Governor Otu, President Tinubu and the APC.
The strategic engagement has, therefore, given political expression to a four-LGA alliance seeking to turn unity into organisation, organisation into mobilisation and mobilisation into a common voice for the IBOE axis.
By Kingsley Agim
