Senator Bassey Otu has won the All Progressives Congress, APC Primary, and emerged as the party candidate for the 2023 Governorship election in Cross River State.
Otu who defeated Senator John Owan Enoh and Chief Chris Agara, was declared the winner of the APC primaries held on Thursday, May 26, 2022, at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Cross River State.
The Chairman of the Primaries Election Committee, Mr. Nma Kolo, while announcing the results on Friday, said Senator Otu scored the highest number of votes with 811 votes, followed by Sen. John Owan-Enoh who got 84 votes and Barr. Chris Agara, 63 votes respectively.
Otu, a former Federal House of Representatives Member for Odukpani/Calabar Municipality Federal Constituency and Senator representing Cross River State Southern Senatorial District scored 84.5% of the votes, while Owan-Enoh, a former Senator Representing Cross River State Central Senatorial District and Agara, a businessman and oil mogul scored 8.9% and 6.6% of the total votes.
The election was attended by Governor Ben Ayade, incumbent Governor of Cross River State, and several other APC stakeholders and members.
The initial controversy which surrounded the clearance of the Odukpani-born Senator was quashed through a letter from the National Secretariat of the party.
The letter, which was signed by the National Publicity Secretary, HE Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, titled ‘Clearance of Bassey Edet Otu’, and addressed to the Chairman, 2022 Governorship Primary Election Committee, said the winner of the primary had been decided.
“Please be informed that Mr. Bassey Edet Otu has been cleared to participate in the Governorship Primary Election.
“To this end, it will be appreciated if he is accorded all respect and privileges deserving of a Governorship aspirant in Cross Rivers State,” the letter stated.
For now, the contest would be between Senator Bassey Otu from the Southern part of the State and Senator Sandy Onor from Cross River Central who had earlier emerged as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the same day.
Recall that on Monday, May 9, 2022, in Abuja, a unanimous decision by the 17 Governorship aspirants and Party critical Stakeholders declared Senator (Prince) Bassey Otu as the consensus candidate of the APC for the 2023 governorship election in Cross River State.
The meeting, which was presided over by Governor Ayade, had in attendance the State Chairman, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba, other Exco members, and the 17 Gubernatorial aspirants under the platform of the APC.
