CALABAR— The Youth Wing of the Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Campaign has announced plans to provide free internet services to tertiary institutions across Cross River South Senatorial District as part of its campaign activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
The convener of the youth wing, Eyo Ita Okon, disclosed this during the flag-off of the campaign activities on Saturday, saying the initiative was designed to improve students’ access to digital resources and support academic activities.
Okon said the programme would begin at the University of Calabar, with the organisers planning to deploy internet equipment across different sections of the institution before extending the initiative to other tertiary institutions in the district.
He said the proposed programme would allow students to access the internet without charge for research, browsing and other academic activities.
According to him, the University of Calabar is expected to be the first beneficiary, with the organisers planning a six-day deployment from October 1 to October 6.
He said the equipment would be moved between designated locations within the university, including student accommodation areas, to enable more students to benefit from the service.
Okon said the youth wing would subsequently extend the programme to other institutions, including the University of Cross River State and other tertiary institutions in the senatorial district.
He explained that the organisers intended to work with student union leaders to ensure the equipment was properly managed when deployed on campuses.
The convener said the initiative was part of a broader effort to make the campaign more responsive to young people’s needs rather than limiting youth participation to rallies and political gatherings.
He said the youth wing would also take its activities to communities across the seven local government areas of Cross River South through grassroots engagement and unit-to-unit mobilisation.
“We don’t want to have those challenges. We want to have a smooth ride throughout the system,” Okon said while explaining the preparations for the digital initiative.
He said the campaign structure would involve young people working in teams and cells across the senatorial district, adding that the structure was intended to complement existing party structures rather than replace them.
Okon also urged members of the youth wing to use the senator’s record in office as part of their campaign message, saying members had been provided with a book documenting his activities.
The youth wing’s campaign activities are expected to cover Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Biase, Calabar Municipal, Calabar South and Odukpani.
The initiative is being implemented as part of the youth wing’s mobilisation for Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
