Cross River APC picks consensus candidate

Senator Bassey Otu has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate for the 2023 Cross River governorship election. 

This was disclosed, yesterday, in a press statement issued in Calabar by the states Publicity Secretary of the party, Erasmus Ekpang.  

Otu is a former senator representing Southern Senatorial District of the state and one of the 18 aspirants, who indicated interest to succeed Governor Ben Ayade.

According to the statement, the governor announced him as the consensus candidate after a unanimous decision by 17 aspirants in Abuja, in the early hours of May 10 after a meeting of all the 18 aspirants, party executives and others that constitute the state caucus. 

The statement reads: “Ahead of the 2023 general elections, a leading aspirant, Senator Bassey Otu has emerged as the consensus candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State.

“His emergence as a consensus governorship candidate was the unanimous decision by the 17 governorship aspirants and party critical stakeholders”.

“The meeting, which was presided over by the state governor and leader of our great party, Ben Ayade, had in attendance the state chairman, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, other exco members and the 17 aspirants under the platform of the APC. The meeting of the party, which held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja was a congenial political family meeting which resolved to donate power to Bassey Otu to fly the flag of the party.”