CALABAR — Archbishop Joseph Bassey, Visionary of the Crossroads Christian Leaders Forum and spiritual leader of God’s Heritage Nation, has rejected claims that any individual or political actor “made” Governor Bassey Edet Otu of Cross River state, describing such assertions as arrogant, misleading, and an insult to the people of the state NEGROIDHAVEN can report.
Speaking during an interview in Calabar on Saturday, the cleric reacted to recent comments credited to the recently sacked Cross River state Chair of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alphonsus Ogar Eba, who had suggested on national television that he played an exclusively decisive role in Governor Otu’s emergence.
Archbishop Bassey stated emphatically that Governor Otu’s emergence was neither the product of political manipulation nor the achievement of any single individual or party structure.
“Prince Bassey Otu is not the governor of Cross River state because of political manoeuvrings,” he said. “That decision was taken far above the imagination, schemes, and orchestrations of men. At the level where a man becomes governor, it is the people who make that decision.”
He described claims of personal ownership over the governor’s emergence as an affront to democratic principles and to the collective will of Cross River citizens, stressing that every voter and stakeholder who participated in the electoral process contributed to Otu’s victory.
The Archbishop further maintained that Governor Otu was not the preferred candidate of the immediate past APC leadership in the state, led by former Governor Ben Ayade, contrary to narratives suggesting otherwise.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Prince Bassey Otu was not the choice of the Ayade-led APC for the governorship,” he said. “History should not be distorted.”
Addressing broader political tensions in the state, Archbishop Bassey cautioned political actors against overheating the polity during the festive and transition period, urging restraint, reflection, and honesty.
“This is not a time to incite groups against one another or to rewrite history,” he said. “We should put ourselves where God can bless us as a people.”
The cleric also rejected narratives portraying the transition of power to the Southern Senatorial District as a benevolent handover, arguing instead that it resulted from deliberate political alignment and sacrifice by southern stakeholders.
He called on political leaders to focus on peace, unity, and truth, warning that exaggerated claims of influence could deepen divisions and undermine public trust.
The interview followed heightened political debates in Cross River state after comments by Mr. Eba on News Central Television regarding the internal dynamics of the APC and the emergence of the current administration.
