Across Cross River State Central Senatorial District, the 2027 discussions is gradually moving around familiar concerns — roads, jobs, infrastructure, natural resources and whether the people are receiving enough value from the wealth generated from their communities.
One name increasingly being promoted around that conversation is Rt. Hon. Bassey Eko Ewa, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Cross River Central Senatorial District.
Ewa holds a strong argument that communities in the senatorial district contributing significantly to the state's economic activities should also see more visible development.
Boki has become one of the strongest examples he uses to make that point.
Ewa has repeatedly raised questions about the economic value of Boki, pointing to the area's timber activities, mineral and other natural resources. He has also spoken about the movement of trucks out of the area and the revenue he says is generated from those activities.
Based on his argument, large economic activity happens in Boki every day, but many of the communities still struggle with roads and basic infrastructure.
“Boki is contributing enormously to the economy, but the people should also feel the impact of what comes out of their land,” Ewa has argued.
He has also referred to gold and other mineral resources in the wider area, alongside timber, as part of the natural wealth that should translate into better opportunities and infrastructure for local communities.
On the movement of trucks, Ewa has claimed that the volume of economic activity coming out of Boki is so significant that the revenue associated with the trucks alone could amount to billions of naira over time.
“If trucks are leaving Boki every day and government is collecting revenue from these activities, the people should be asking what is coming back to them,” he said.
The argument extends beyond Boki. Ewa has also highlighted concerns around Etung, Ikom, Yakurr and other parts of Cross River Central, saying communities with valuable agricultural, forest and mineral resources should not remain disconnected by poor roads or lack of basic infrastructure.
Experience as part of the argument
Another reason supporters point to is Ewa's experience in public office.
He represented Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019 and is documented as having served three terms. He also previously served as Majority Leader and Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly.
Cross River Central Residents argue that this gives him an understanding of both grassroots concerns and the workings of the National Assembly.
During his years representing Yakurr/Abi, Ewa was associated with various constituency interventions, including educational support, medical outreach, water projects, classroom projects, road-related interventions and empowerment programmes.
A 2018 interview also records Ewa highlighting scholarships, medical programmes, boreholes, school projects and empowerment initiatives as some of the interventions he said he facilitated for his constituency.
That record is now being brought into the 2027 conversation as supporters make the case that the Central Senatorial District needs an experienced representative who understands how to turn constituency concerns into federal demands.
Why the message is gaining attention
The attraction around Bassey Eko Ewa's campaign, according to supporters, is therefore not only about the NDC platform. It is also about the development questions he is raising in communities such as Boki, Etung, Ikom, Yakurr, Abi and Obubra.
For many of Ewa's supporters, the central question is simple that, if these communities contribute so much through their natural resources, agriculture, timber and other economic activities, why should their roads and basic infrastructure remain a major concern?
That question has become one of the strongest parts of his campaign message.
The NDC's growing national visibility is also giving the campaign another platform, particularly among younger voters who are increasingly following the party's activities across the country. But in Cross River Central, Ewa's campaign is seeking to keep the conversation local; focusing on roads, resources, representation and development.
For now, however, Ewa's campaign is building its message around a simple promise of advocacy, that the wealth of Central should not only leave the communities — development should return with it.
And from Rural forest routes to the wider communities of Cross River Central Senatorial District, that message is becoming an increasingly visible part of the road to 2027.
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