The 2027 political contest in Cross River State is already taking a sharper turn, with the Commissioner for Information, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, challenging the opposition, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, to tell Cross Riverians exactly what Governor Bassey Edet Otu has failed to achieve.
Cobham made the challenge while reacting to criticisms of the Otu administration, insisting that opposition politicians should move beyond what he described as “rudimentary political rhetorics” and engage the government on its policies, programmes and performance.
According to the Commissioner, political opposition should be built around facts, records and alternative ideas rather than mere accusations or personal attacks.
He specifically challenged Arthur Jarvis Archibong, the PDP governorship candidate, to engage the Otu administration in an open debate and present concrete evidence of areas where the government has failed.
“Let us have a debate. Come with strong reasons,” Cobham said, challenging the opposition to put its arguments before the people of Cross River.
The Commissioner's position comes as political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election continue to gather momentum across the state, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties increasingly taking their campaigns and criticisms to the public space.
Cobham also defended Governor Otu's travels and engagements outside Cross River State, following criticism from some opposition voices that the governor spends too much time outside the state.
He argued that a governor's effectiveness should not be measured simply by how often he is physically present in the state, but also by the results of engagements with federal agencies, financial institutions and development partners.
He cited the administration's efforts around the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport and Cross River's push for oil-producing state status as examples of issues requiring engagements beyond the state.
The Commissioner maintained that such engagements could translate into major economic benefits for Cross River if successfully achieved.
Cobham further urged the opposition to compare the present administration with the condition of the state when Governor Otu assumed office in 2023.
He argued that political discussions should involve a clear assessment of what the government inherited, what it has achieved and what remains to be done.
The Commissioner also addressed the controversy surrounding social media commentator Denis Odama, clarifying that the Cross River State Government, as an institution, did not initiate the case against him.
According to Cobham, the petition was made by the Special Adviser on General Duties and the Commissioner for Works in their personal capacities over alleged defamatory and insulting comments concerning Governor Otu.
He urged members of the public and political actors not to turn the matter into a wider political confrontation.
Meanwhile, Cobham announced plans by the Ministry of Information to commence regular media tours of government projects across the state.
The tours, he explained, would give journalists the opportunity to visit project sites, inspect ongoing and completed projects and report their findings to the public.
The move is expected to provide more opportunity for Cross Riverians to independently assess some of the claims being made by both the government and its critics as the 2027 political season approaches.
With Cobham's latest challenge, the political conversation in Cross River is gradually shifting toward a direct question for the opposition: beyond criticizing Governor Otu, what specific areas of the administration's performance do they believe have failed, and what alternative would they offer Cross Riverians?
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