By Abasi Ita
The Chancellor of Arthur Jarvis University, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2027 general elections in Cross River State.
Jarvis secured the party’s ticket following direct governorship primaries conducted across the state and collated in Calabar over the weekend.
Declaring the result, Chairman of the Electoral Committee and Presiding Officer, Dr. Clinton Chika, said Sir Jarvis was the sole aspirant in the exercise.
Chika disclosed that 10,133 accredited party members participated in the primaries, while 10,130 votes were cast in favour of Jarvis.
“Therefore, having scored the highest votes as earlier mentioned, 10,130, I have the honour as Chairman of the 2026 Governorship Election Primaries in Cross River State to declare Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong as the candidate of the PDP for the 2027 governorship election,” he stated.
With the victory, Jarvis will face incumbent Governor Bassey Otu of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 governorship contest.
In his acceptance speech, Jarvis thanked party faithful across the 196 political wards of the state for finding him worthy to fly the party’s flag.
He described the current situation in the state as unfortunate and blamed it on what he termed poor leadership and lack of visionary projects.
“The present administration lacks the vision and drive for people oriented projects with direct bearing on the lives of our people. Nobody cares about the people. People just come in, take our resources and turn them into their personal empire. Our common patrimony is being controlled by a cartel driven by selfish interests,” he said.
According to him, the movement to reclaim the state had begun and would be driven by the interest of the people rather than political affiliations.
“This movement is not going to be about party, but about the people. It is time for all well meaning Cross Riverians to team up and join us to rescue the state from the brink of collapse. We must set aside political affiliations and sentiments for the good of our people,” he said.
Jarvis also pledged to respect the state’s zoning arrangement by serving only one term of four years if elected governor.
“We have just four years. It will not be proper for us to stay a day after four years,” he stated.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the PDP, Venatius Ikem, said the party had continued to reinvent itself and regain the confidence of the people.
Ikem maintained that the present administration in the state had not given Cross Riverians any reason to renew its mandate in 2027, describing Jarvis as an upright and credible candidate.
“Last time we did not get it, but this time I think God has destined that we get it right,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees and former Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Barrister Efiok Cobham, described Jarvis as a competent administrator capable of managing public affairs effectively.
“As a football fan, I know that big names do not win matches, good teams do. We could not have had a better candidate,” Cobham said.
He commended the conduct of the primaries, describing the exercise as peaceful and rancour free.
Among dignitaries present at the event were John Ifere, PDP Central Senatorial candidate, Prof. Zana Akpagu, PDP candidate for Obudu/Bekwarra/Obanliku Federal Constituency, Florence Inyang, PDP Southern Senatorial candidate, and James Ibor, PDP candidate for Yakurr 1 State Constituency.