…polls 10,130 to become gubernatorial candidate

…Says only a “cartel” is enjoying governance, not the people

By Ike Uchechukwu, CALABAR

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Cross River State, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of gross neglect of the people and running a government that benefits only a select “cartel.”

Archibong made the remarks in his acceptance speech after emerging as the party’s candidate at the PDP governorship primary held in Calabar on Sunday, May 24, 2026.

He polled 10,130 votes as the sole aspirant to clinch the ticket.

Describing the state’s situation as “very sad,” Archibong said ordinary citizens, including children yet unborn, have become victims of leadership failure.

“Our situation as a state is very sad. And in this sadness, the people, our brothers and sisters, our fathers and mothers, in fact, our children, even those unborn, are the victims of it. We are responsible for the mess that we are seeing in our state,” he stated.

The PDP candidate criticised the infrastructure projects of Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s administration, describing them as “infantile projects” driven by personal ambition rather than public interest.

“In business, we call those projects infantile projects, because nobody cares about the people. Nobody has been able to create visionary projects that concern the people.

” Nobody cares about the people. People just come in, take your resources, turn them into their own empire, and get out of the state without any problem,” he said.

He alleged that only a few individuals are benefiting from the government.

“You can only count them on one hand, those who are benefiting from this government. Just three or four people. And it is a cartel. Who cares about you? Who cares about me?”

Archibong noted that dissatisfaction with the current administration cuts across party lines, adding that even APC members are yearning for change.

He welcomed defectors back to the PDP, promising they would be received “like royalties.”

He called for a united front beyond partisan lines, describing the 2027 election as a rescue mission for the state.

He contrasted Cross River’s slow pace of development with the progress recorded in neighbouring Akwa Ibom and Abia states.

“This movement that we are going to see is not going to be about the party. It’s going to be about people. Nobody will discuss the party, we’re going to discuss people,” he said.

Corroborating Archibong’s position, the state PDP Chairman, Barr. Venatius Ikem, questioned the impact of Governor Otu’s four years in office.

“For four years, the highest we have seen is that he has covered some potholes in Calabar. The other one I hear is that he renovated the library on the highway. Apart from those projects on the highway, I’m yet to know what else he has done as governor,” Ikem said.

The primary result was announced by Dr Clinton Chika, Chairman of the PDP Governorship Primary Election Committee.

“Therefore, having scored the highest votes as earlier mentioned, 10,130, and in accordance with the constitution of our party and the 2026 electoral guidelines of our great party, the PDP, I have the singular honour as the Chairman of the 2026 Gubernatorial Election Primaries here in Cross River State, and the power confided in me by the NWC and the constitution of our great party, to declare Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, hereby elected as the candidate of PDP to fly the party ticket in 2027.”