The Neighbour to Neighbour political support group has endorsed Governor Bassey Edet Otu for a second term in office, pledging to mobilise grassroots support for his re-election across Cross River State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group made its position known when its executive members visited the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Dr Emmanuel Ironbar, in Calabar, where they expressed confidence in the Governor’s leadership and the direction of the state under his administration.
Receiving the delegation, Ironbar commended the group for identifying with the administration and expressing confidence in Governor Otu’s leadership, describing the visit as significant evidence that Cross Riverians were actively identifying with the progress being recorded across the state.
He said Governor Otu had demonstrated that leadership was about service, compassion and delivering tangible results to the people.
Ironbar also highlighted the administration’s inclusive approach to governance, saying it had created opportunities for Cross Riverians to contribute to the development of the state irrespective of their background, political persuasion or place of origin.
“Governor Otu’s government is a government for everyone. There is space and opportunity for everybody, irrespective of background, political persuasion or where you come from. What matters to the Governor is the capacity and willingness to contribute to the growth and development of Cross River State,” he said.
The Chief of Staff urged the group to remain focused on its mission and resist attempts to distract it from supporting the administration’s development agenda, while stressing that the government remained open to constructive criticism.
He alleged that some individuals were attempting to tarnish the reputation of the Governor through misinformation and unfounded narratives, urging members to remain committed to truth and the progress of the state.
Ironbar commended the group’s grassroots engagement and solidarity, urging its members to continue taking the message of the administration’s achievements to communities across the state.
“Politics is ultimately about the people. You are taking the message from one community to another and from one neighbourhood to another, and that is how confidence in government is built and sustained,” he said.
He assured the delegation that Governor Otu remained committed to consolidating his achievements and building a stronger, more prosperous and united Cross River State.
Earlier, the Director General of Neighbour to Neighbour, Dr Bobby Ekpenyong, said the group was a grassroots movement committed to taking the achievements of the Otu administration to every part of the state.
Ekpenyong said the movement was building an organic structure to mobilise support for Governor Otu in 2027, noting that its ward, local government and neighbourhood cells would drive the campaign across the state.
He disclosed that the structure operates an initiative tagged “Operation Get 10 Persons”, under which each of its 10 coordinators in a neighbourhood is expected to mobilise 10 persons, describing the arrangement as part of the group’s grassroots advocacy strategy.
Ekpenyong said the movement would embark on neighbourhood-to-neighbourhood mobilisation from the northern to the southern parts of the state to galvanise support for the Governor and promote awareness of his administration’s achievements.
The highlight of the visit was the investiture of Chief Dr Emmanuel Ironbar as Grand Patron of the Neighbour to Neighbour movement in recognition of his support for the group.
By Kingsley Agim
