New Telegraph 
Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has described the defection of his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Umo Eno, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a historic and unifying moment for the South-South geopolitical zone and a major boost for the ruling party.
Speaking with journalists upon his return from the historic event held at the Government House Banquet Hall in Uyo, Otu expressed joy over the development, calling it a “great day” for both Cross River and the entire South-South.
Otu, who is currently the Vice Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, recalled an APC South-South meeting hosted in Calabar last year, where he had advocated for a shift in the region’s political landscape.
“At the time, I was the only APC governor in the zone, and I felt like an orphan,” Otu said, referencing the absence of other APC governors in the South-South.
He added: “We had not yet won Edo or Delta State, and Akwa bom was not on board. But like I prophesied that day, something was going to happen—and it has.”
He described Eno’s move to the APC as “a welcome development” for the progressive political family, noting that Cross River and Akwa Ibom, once a single state, should naturally move in the same direction for regional development and harmony.
“With both of us now in alignment, alongside our APC sister states in the South-South, the region is better positioned to support the bold reforms and strategic direction of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Otu said.
