02/09/2026
Cross River State Governor, Sen. Bassey Otu, has declared that the state can no longer afford political “trial and error”, insisting that anyone seeking elective office in 2027 must have a demonstrable antecedent and record of service.
But the governor’s position is already generating questions among political observers, particularly over the emergence of Oden Ewa as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Cross River Central Senatorial District.
Otu, speaking after returning to Calabar from national engagements, warned politicians seeking to contest the 2027 governorship election against simply appearing from nowhere and asking Cross Riverians to entrust them with the state’s future.
“The state is not for experiment. We have gone past that,” Otu said. He added: “We cannot play with the future of Cross Riverians anymore. So if you want to come out, let us see your antecedents. Let us see what you have done. You cannot just wake up from anywhere and jump into the contest.”
For Boki Blog Africa, however, the governor’s argument raises a question that deserves to be asked.
Does the same standard of political antecedent and experience apply to candidates being promoted by his own political camp?
That question is particularly relevant in Cross River Central, where Oden Ewa emerged as the APC’s senatorial candidate.
Ewa is not completely without public-service experience. He served as Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs under Governor Otu and also headed the Cross River State Green Economy Commission. The APC itself describes him as having extensive private-sector and public-administration experience.
However, what is also clear from available public records is that Ewa is a relatively new entrant into electoral politics and has no previous record as an elected legislator. His current bid for the Senate is his first attempt to secure an elected legislative office. Indeed, reports ahead of the primary described him as relatively new in the political theatre of the senatorial district.
That distinction is important because the Senate is a legislative institution. While experience as a commissioner, administrator or businessman can provide useful exposure, it is different from having served previously in a legislative chamber, where lawmakers are expected to understand legislative procedure, oversight, representation and lawmaking.
This is where Governor Otu’s latest statement invites scrutiny.
If Cross River has truly “gone past trial and error”, as the governor declared, should voters not be allowed to interrogate the experience of every candidate equally, including candidates associated with the governor?
The question becomes even more significant because there have been political allegations that Otu favoured Ewa's emergence as the APC candidate for Cross River Central. Such claims have circulated around the contentious APC primary, although the governor and the APC have presented the process as legitimate. Ewa eventually won the ticket, while the controversy surrounding the primary later led to a reconciliation process involving the party leadership.
The Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, subsequently announced that issues surrounding the APC Central Senatorial ticket had been resolved and called on party members to rally behind Ewa. The intervention was reportedly made at the instance of Governor Otu.
This does not automatically establish that Otu “imposed” Ewa on Cross River Central. However, the political perception exists, and it is one that the governor’s latest argument about political antecedents makes difficult to ignore.
There is therefore an obvious political contradiction that opponents may exploit.
On one hand, Otu is telling other aspirants that Cross River cannot be treated as an experimental ground and that candidates must show what they have done before asking the people for their votes.
On the other hand, his preferred political candidate in Cross River Central is seeking elective legislative office for the first time.
That does not mean Ewa is incompetent, nor does it mean a first-time candidate cannot perform effectively in the Senate. It simply means that, by Governor Otu’s own stated standard, voters are entitled to ask what specific legislative experience Ewa possesses and what evidence demonstrates that he is ready for the responsibilities of a senator.
Interestingly, Ewa himself acknowledged after winning the APC primary that he was contesting as a “first timer”, while thanking Governor Otu for giving him the opportunity to serve in his administration and contest the primary.
For Boki Blog Africa, the issue is therefore not whether Oden Ewa should be disqualified because he has never been a legislator. It is whether the same political standard being demanded from opponents should also be applied to candidates within the governor’s camp.
Cross River voters, ultimately, will have the final say.
They will decide whether experience in executive government, private-sector management and public administration is sufficient preparation for the Senate, or whether they prefer candidates with years of direct legislative experience.
And if Governor Otu insists that Cross River must not return to “trial and error”, then perhaps the most important question for every candidate; including those closest to his administration, should be the one he himself has asked: “Let us see your antecedents. Let us see what you have done.”
— Boki Blog Africa
