A political support group, Neighbour2Neighbour for Sweet Prince, has pledged to mobilise one million votes for Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, in the 2027 general election.
The Director-General of the group, Dr. Bobby Ekpeyong, made the pledge on Tuesday during a press conference held at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre in Calabar.
Ekpeyong said the group’s resolve followed a statewide grassroots engagement aimed at assessing the mood of residents and the impact of the governor’s administration across Cross River State.
“We are gathered here to share our observations, findings and experiences from our statewide grassroots engagement across Cross River State,” he said.
He explained that the group’s mission went beyond official meetings and online discussions.
“Our mission took us beyond government offices, political meetings and social media discussions into the communities where ordinary citizens live, work and confront the realities of governance every day.”
According to him, members of the network visited towns and villages, interacted with residents and inspected development projects.
“We visited towns and villages, interacted with residents, observed development projects and listened to the concerns, expectations and aspirations of our people.”
Ekpeyong said the exercise was carried out to obtain firsthand information about the people’s experiences.
“We undertook this exercise because we believe that responsible political engagement must be informed by firsthand experience, credible information and a genuine understanding of the people.”
He said the findings showed progress in some sectors but also highlighted areas that require greater attention.
“Our findings reflect both encouraging developments and legitimate expectations. We recognize the progress recorded in some areas, while acknowledging the need for sustained attention to employment, infrastructure, healthcare, education and economic opportunities.”
The Director-General described Neighbour2Neighbour for Sweet Prince Political Network as a grassroots support organisation committed to promoting Governor Otu’s leadership and political vision.
“Neighbor2Neighbor 4 Sweet Prince Political Network is a grassroots political support group committed to promoting the leadership and political aspirations of His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, Governor of Cross River State.”
He added that the network was established to deepen community participation and support the governor’s People First development agenda.
“The network is founded on the conviction that effective political participation begins with the people. Its mission is to strengthen community engagement, promote political awareness and mobilise support for the Governor’s People First philosophy and development agenda.”
Ekpeyong said the group currently operates across the state’s three senatorial districts and 18 local government areas through community outreach, stakeholder engagement and political sensitisation.
He stressed that political support should be based on sustained engagement and visible performance rather than campaign slogans.
“We believe political support should not be confined to slogans or election season activities. It should be built through sustained engagement, credible information, demonstrable achievements and the confidence of the electorate.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, he said the network would intensify its grassroots mobilisation.
“As Cross River State approaches the 2027 general elections, our ambition is to consolidate our grassroots presence and mobilize more than one million votes in support of the political direction we advocate. We intend to pursue this objective through peaceful mobilization, issue-based advocacy and democratic participation, while respecting the right of every eligible citizen to make an independent electoral choice.”
The group said its campaign would focus on community engagement, peaceful mobilisation and issue-based political participation across the state ahead of the next general election.
