By Asuquo Cletus
The Wife of the Cross River State Governor, Eyoanwan Otu, has warned women in the state against abandoning the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging them to remain loyal to the party.
She urged the women to put aside their grievances and work together for the party’s success, arguing that defecting to another political platform could cost them their existing political relevance.
Otu gave the warning yesterday during a strategic meeting with female political stakeholders and APC supporters in the state, where she called for unity and grassroots mobilisation ahead of the polls.
“You can’t start all over. If you bring in a new person, the person would definitely want to come with his or her person. And so you, your faces have been sold. They know you already. You are my person,” she said.
The governor’s wife also urged the women to demonstrate their support for her through their votes, linking the continuation of her humanitarian interventions to the political fortunes of the APC.
“Whether you like it or not, if you don’t vote for me to go back there, you will not enjoy all this goodness,” she said.
Otu said her humanitarian activities were driven by passion and a desire to complement her husband’s administration, particularly in addressing the welfare needs of residents.
She disclosed that her medical outreach programme had recorded about 12 editions in three years, with more than 2,000 surgeries conducted.
“Health is wealth. We’ve had 12 editions, and we’ve had over 2,000 surgeries,” she said.
She explained that while Governor Bassey Otu was focused on governance, infrastructure and administrative responsibilities, she had taken up welfare interventions to bridge gaps and support vulnerable residents.
The former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, who also addressed the gathering, charged the women to intensify grassroots mobilisation and demonstrate their commitment to the APC through electoral results.
Edu commended Otu for promoting women’s empowerment and political participation, noting that more women were now occupying political positions and contesting elections on the platform of the APC.
“The only way to pay this woman of God back is to go back to the field and walk,” she said.
She urged the women to embark on door-to-door campaigns, reaching voters in churches, markets, prayer meetings and their respective communities.
Edu also challenged each woman to mobilise between 100 and 200 votes in her polling unit.
“Don’t act like there’s any other person. Act like it is only you and if you don’t mobilise up to 200 votes in your polling unit or at least 100 votes in your polling unit, know that you failed yourself and you have failed our mother,” she said.
She further urged party members to forgive one another and avoid internal disagreements, saying the remaining period before the election should be devoted to mobilisation.
“If I offend you, forgive me. If your sister offend you, forgive me. This 80 days is not days for grudges,” Edu added
