Sen. Prince Otu wins APC Governorship Primary in Cross River State

Prince Bassey Otu has won the All Progressives Congress, APC primary and emerged as the party candidate for the 2023 Governorship election in Cross River State.

Otu who earlier emerged as a consensus candidate of the party was declared the winner in the APC primaries held on Thursday, May 26, 2022, at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Cross River State.

The primary election which results were announced in the early hours of Friday, May 27, 2022, saw Prince Otu polled a whopping 811 votes, followed by Sen. John Owan-Enoh who scored 84 votes and Barr. Chris Agara who polled 63 votes respectively.

Otu, a former Federal House of Representatives Member for Odukpani/Calabar Municipality Federal Constituency and Senator representing Cross River State Southern Senatorial District scored 84.5% of the votes, while Owan-Enoh, a former Senator Representing Cross River State Central Senatorial District and Agara, a businessman and oil mogul scored 8.9% and 6.6% of the total votes.

The election was attended by Governor Ben Ayade, incumbent Governor of Cross River State and several other APC stakeholders and members.

Recall that on Monday, May 9, 2022, in Abuja, a unanimous decision by the 17 Governorship aspirants and Party critical Stakeholders declared Senator (Prince) Bassey Otu as the consensus candidate of the APC for the 2023 governorship election in Cross River State.

The meeting, which was presided over by Governor Ayade, had in attendance the State Chairman, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba, other Exco members and the 17 Gubernatorial aspirants under the platform of the APC.

However, some of the aspirants disagreed afterwards, with Pst. Usani Usani, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs leaving the APC to join PRP and Barr. Agara proceeding to purchase the Interest and Nomination forms under the same party.

Owan-Enoh, on the other hand, stepped down and threw his full support behind Prince Otu on May 19, 2022, in a critical stakeholders meeting held in Calabar.

With the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP earlier electing Sen. Sandy Onor as its candidate for the 2023 governorship election in Cross River State, the battle line is drawn between the two biggest opposition parties in the state and country at large.

Who will emerge as the Governor of Cross River State in 2023: Senator Sandy Onor or Prince Bassey Otu?