By Chesa Chesa
Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, has commended the screening of governorship aspirants for 2027 polls conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as thorough and capable of producing diligent leaders for the country.
Otu spoke with journalists on Friday after appearing before the party’s screening panel at the Plateau Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, as part of ongoing internal processes ahead of upcoming political contests.
Assessing the exercise, the governor said the APC had significantly improved its internal mechanisms across board.
“The process here is very thorough. The party has upped its game in almost all sectors that you can think about. The questions were thorough, and I believe that Nigeria will benefit from this because it’s going to produce very diligent leaders,” he said.
On the party’s chances in Cross River State and across the country, Otu expressed strong confidence, insisting that the APC remains firmly in control in his state.
“In my own state, I think it’s just one mantra, and that is ‘Jagaban all the way.’ We don’t have issues. It is an APC state to the core, to the very foundation of it,” he stated.
The governor also dismissed the strength of opposition parties, arguing that they lack the capacity to compete effectively with the ruling party.
“They don’t have it. Can you mention one president that has done what this President has done in under three years in all areas?” he queried.
Otu further praised the performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the administration had made significant progress despite the challenges inherited at the outset.
“I believe he has excelled, given the position and where we took over from. I believe he has done well. And all we can do as a party is come together,” he added.
He described the growing strength of the APC as unprecedented, likening it to a powerful wave of political momentum.
“The party is bigger than where it used to be, so you can imagine what is going on. It’s called a tsunami,” Otu said.
The APC screening exercise continues in Abuja, with several governors and aspirants appearing before the panel as the party consolidates its internal processes ahead of future elections.
