By Peter Omopo
Benin City, July 7, 2025 — Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has lauded President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms and called on the South-South geopolitical zone to rally behind the president ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the All Progressives Congress (APC) South-South Stakeholders’ Meeting held on Saturday in Benin City, Edo State, Governor Otu described the Tinubu administration’s performance as “magical,” noting that the region is on a path of transformation under the current federal leadership.
Otu, who addressed party leaders, government officials, and stakeholders from across the zone, said the South-South’s political journey under the APC had evolved into a determined quest for progress, prosperity, and national integration.
“We have come with an alabaster of endorsements, and we are pouring generously and unreservedly on our dear captain of the Progressives… the Jagaban of Africa,” Otu declared, using a popular moniker for the president.
The governor reflected on the early days of APC’s emergence in the region, describing a time when Cross River felt politically “orphaned” but remained optimistic about its decision to embrace progressive politics.
“We assuaged the loneliness with the conviction that we took an informed decision because hope was indeed on the horizon,” he added.
Governor Otu praised the policy decisions made under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, especially the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of exchange rates, which he said have helped stabilise Nigeria’s macroeconomic environment and reinvigorated investor confidence.
“These reforms may be tough, but they are necessary. We must stand with the President to see them through,” Otu urged.
The meeting in Benin forms part of wider mobilisation efforts by APC leaders in the South-South to consolidate support for Tinubu’s administration and chart a strategic course ahead of the next electoral cycle.
