By Abasi Ita, Calabar
Despite a wave of endorsements sweeping through the Cross River chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in favour of Governor Bassey Otu and President Bola Tinubu, internal tensions appear to be simmering beneath the surface as the state approaches the 2027 election cycle.
This undercurrent of political friction came to a head last Friday, June 13, 2025, during what was meant to be a routine commissioning of federal projects by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Calabar.
The ceremony almost spiraled into chaos before a last-minute intervention from the Presidency defused a volatile standoff and averted a major political crisis.
The high-profile event, led by the Minister of Regional Development, Hon. Abubakar Momoh, was marred by protests, vandalism, and turf battles allegedly instigated by local political interests, bringing to light the deepening divisions between state government and federal law makers of Cross River State extraction at the National Assembly.
Findings by Summit Post revealed that hired thugs disrupted activities at the project sites in Nyaghasang and Idang Street by tearing down banners, destroying event setups, and dismantling signage bearing federal insignia.
Many observers interpreted the disruptions as a calculated attempt to embarrass the federal delegation, particularly targeting Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr., a key figure associated with the projects.
As tensions mounted, a direct call from the Presidency to Governor Bassey Otu reportedly shifted the tone of events and allowed part of the inauguration to proceed.
The NDDC team had arrived in Calabar to commission over eight kilometers of rehabilitated roads in Calabar Municipality and Calabar South, alongside a newly constructed NDDC state office complex and the formal handover of agricultural equipment to local farmers.
Trouble began at the first site in Nyaghasang, where agitated youths, claiming the road was a state government project, vandalized canopies, scattered chairs, and tore down billboards—including some bearing the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
A similar scene unfolded at Idang Street in Calabar South, where another group, allegedly acting on political orders, disrupted proceedings. In a video widely circulated online, the Chairman of Calabar South, Hon. Patrick Archibong, was seen telling Senator Ekpenyong that the event had to be halted because “the state government was not carried along.”
However, NDDC officials insisted that the state government had been formally notified. Sources revealed that multiple reminders were issued through Cross River’s representatives during the NDDC’s 2025 Budget Conference. A courtesy call to the Governor was also scheduled but was reportedly declined due to his stated absence from Calabar.
As the situation escalated, a high-level phone call from Aso Rock reportedly proved pivotal. Sources said Governor Otu initially attributed the disruptions to alleged plans to rename a street and concerns over the cost of the NDDC’s new office complex. The Presidency, however, dismissed these justifications and urged the Governor to allow the inauguration to continue. Following the call, clearance was granted for the event to proceed—albeit partially.
While the Idang Street project was commissioned, the disputed Nyaghasang Road was removed from the official schedule amid ongoing contention between the NDDC and the state government.
At a press conference yesterday, Cross River State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Pius Edet, insisted that the Nyaghasang Road was purely a state government initiative. “The contractors are still on site. The NDDC had no involvement in this project and no mandate to commission it,” he said, explaining that the project was originally awarded to Escor Nigeria Limited and later re-awarded to a new contractor after delays.
Hon. Orok Duke, the state’s representative on the NDDC Board, supported this view, stating that the road was already 80% completed before the NDDC “came in to asphalt a section.”
Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, further emphasized that the state’s invitation to the NDDC inauguration referenced only the new office complex, not any road project. He described the NDDC’s inclusion of the Nyaghasang Road as “misleading and damaging to inter-governmental cooperation.”
However, residents of the Nyaghasang community strongly disputed the state’s version of events, insisting that the road had been abandoned for over a decade until the NDDC’s recent intervention.
Mr. Bassey Ekeng, a long-time resident, traced the road’s origins back to former Governor Donald Duke, who initiated it to stimulate development in the area.
He explained that while the first phase—from Access Junction through Akpandem, Nsaha Effiom, and Ekpenyong Abasi to Jonathan Bypass near the DSS office—was completed, the second phase, which runs through Dr. Edem Street and Nyaghasang, was awarded under Governor Liyel Imoke to Escor Nigeria Limited but later abandoned.
“For years, we lived with gully erosion, impassable roads, and collapsing homes. Some residents sold their properties. Others watched theirs fall apart,” Ekeng said. “We thought the era of government lies was over. This turmoil is embarrassing.”
He recalled that during the 2023 general elections, Senator Ekpenyong visited the community and received a list of urgent needs—including transformers, boreholes, street lights, and the road’s completion. “He promised to deliver if elected. He won—and he kept his word,” Ekeng said.
Many residents expressed dismay over the political wrangling surrounding the project. “It’s a shame that this kind of politics is playing out. We all know the truth: it was Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong who completed this road. All we want is development, not political squabbles,” said one community elder.
Political analysts believe the controversy may be tied to growing speculation over Senator Ekpenyong’s possible gubernatorial ambitions in 2027—a claim he has consistently denied. Nonetheless, some see the disruptions as an attempt to undermine his influence and public standing ahead of the next political cycle.
Although the commissioning eventually went ahead in part, the incident underscored the fragility of intergovernmental coordination and the high political stakes surrounding infrastructure development in Cross River State.
As one Nyaghasang resident bluntly put it:
“Let them quarrel all they want, we know who facilitated the completion of this road. But the quarrel should not affect further governor interventions because we are in need of transformers street lights, boreholes and erosion embarkment ”