By Onwa Ekor
The Neighbour 2 Neighbour (N2N) Grassroots Mobilisation Network has launched a voter mobilisation drive in Abi and Boki local government areas, pledging support for the re-election of Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, in 2027.
Founded in 2011, the group said it is also backing President Bola Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates.
Speaking at separate events, N2N Director-General, Dr. Bobby Ekpenyong, said the network would deploy its grassroots structure to sensitise voters on the achievements of the Otu administration and mobilise support for a second term.
In Abi, at the inauguration held at the council secretariat, Ekpenyong urged voters to scrutinise candidates seeking office in 2027, especially those with a history of unfulfilled promises.
Recalling his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ekpenyong said he switched allegiance after assessing the Otu administration’s record, particularly in job creation and the recovery of agricultural estates.
“I have seen the light and have decided to throw my hat in the ring for Otu because of what the incumbent has done in the area of employment and the recovery of our agricultural estates that were sold under the guise of privatisation,” he said.
He listed other achievements to include the recovery of lost oil wells, the discovery of new oil blocks, efforts to revive Tinapa, progress on the Bakassi Deep Seaport, the renovation of the State Library Complex, and ongoing work at the Cultural Centre Complex.
Ekpenyong also cited improved security, which he said had restored investor confidence, and road construction projects across the state.
“With all these delivered in three years, Otu deserves our total support and should be re-elected in 2027.
“We are here in Abi to solicit your massive votes to enable him complete the good works and take us to Eldorado,” he said.
In Boki, where 12 ward coordinators were inaugurated at Kakwagom, Ekpenyong said N2N was not set up to share money, but to take the administration’s message to the grassroots.
He highlighted interventions in Boki to include the Boki East-West Road, the equipping of the hospital at Abo Ebam, and the installation of solar streetlights in Bawop, Kakwagom, Okundi, Katchuan and Kakwagom-Irruan.
He urged members to take the campaign to neighbourhoods, farms, markets and other gathering points as “Everyone has a neighbour,” he added.
Ekpenyong also appealed to the Central Senatorial District to back Otu’s re-election, saying the state’s zoning arrangement should be respected.
“As members of Neighbour 2 Neighbour, Otu’s re-election is a task that must be done so that after 2031, power can return to the Central Senatorial District in line with our zoning pattern.
“Don’t allow anyone, in any guise, to deceive you into distorting the existing political arrangement for rotation of power among the three senatorial zones,” he said.
He challenged 2027 aspirants to present their scorecards and explain what they would do differently.
“The time when we were led by the nose for the selfish interests of individuals is gone. We now know better. The truth is that Otu has done well and should be returned,” he said.
Director of Youth Mobilisation, Hon. Michael Kajang Obaji, urged young people to take the campaign to their peers, describing Otu’s re-election as “a task that must be accomplished.”
Director of Women Mobilisation, Dr. Silo Ekpenyong, called on women to join the effort and ensure a massive turnout for all APC candidates.
“This is the time for women to come out en masse and embrace Neighbour 2 Neighbour and the re-election train moving across LGAs to mobilise support for Otu’s second term.
“No woman should sit on the fence. Let’s get down to work and deliver all APC candidates massively,” she said.
In his welcome remarks, Abi LGA Coordinator, Hon. Kelvin Ezor, described the campaign as “Operation Show Your Strength and Protect Your Votes,” listing the Bahumono Ring Road, the revitalisation of Songhai Farms, and the resettlement of the Ebijakari people after more than a decade, as key projects in Abi under Otu.
Also speaking, Special Adviser on Revenue to the Abi Council Chairman, Hon. Ebong Innocent, said Abi residents would continue to highlight the governor’s interventions, especially in road construction.
He added that more than 1,000 people from Abi, including farmers, had benefited from welfare packages.
“The people have an opportunity to reciprocate these interventions with their votes in 2027,” Innocent said.
He concluded: “Only the second coming of Jesus Christ will stop Otu’s re-election in 2027.”
