*Urges renewed mandate for Tinubu, Otu at APC rally in Calabar
By Egena Sunday Ode
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the toughest phase of the economic reforms undertaken by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is over, paving the way for growth and prosperity.
Shettima, who spoke on Monday in Calabar at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally, said the administration’s painful but necessary reforms have laid the foundation for prosperity, adding that the next term will deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians.
He rallied support for the re-election of President Tinubu, Governor Bassey Otu and other APC candidates in the 2027 general election.
“We have already done the most difficult job of economic reset. None of the other options available has the capacity to move the needle of the economy. We have rescued the economy, and the road ahead is one of harvest.
“I stand before you today to ask you, once again, to renew the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President and myself as Vice President, and another term for Senator Bassey Otu and Hon. Peter Odey as Governor and Deputy Governor of Cross River State,” Shettima said.
The Vice President said the administration took office in 2023 with a clear plan to open up Cross River to the world, hence the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He said the project will connect coastal communities, ease movement of goods and people, expand tourism, attract investors and create thousands of jobs.
“Our vision is for Cross River to become a major beneficiary of this economic revolution,” he said.
Shettima said the Bakassi Deep Sea Port has received Federal Government approval and support and will serve as an international maritime gateway to attract shipping companies, generate employment and stimulate industrial development.
He added that the proposal to host the Gulf of Guinea Commission Secretariat in Calabar would boost the state’s international visibility, attract diplomatic and commercial activities and create jobs.
On the dispute over 46 oil wells, Shettima said the Federal Government recognises Cross River’s littoral status and is working to resolve the matter to strengthen its maritime identity and open opportunities in the blue economy.
On education, he said Cross River is well-represented in the disbursement of NELFUND, which is driving human capital development and widening access to higher education.
Earlier, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said Tinubu deserves re-election, citing the Deep Sea Port, resuscitation of Calabar Port and the coastal highway projects.
In his welcome address, Governor Otu lauded Tinubu’s courage and reforms in agriculture, education, industry and security, assuring that Cross River would support his re-election.
Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, said Tinubu has performed creditably and deserves a second term, dispelling rumours that the North would not support him.
Earlier, during a courtesy visit to the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu, Shettima said the visit was to inform the monarch of the party’s aspirations and pay homage to the traditional institution.
Governor Otu sought royal blessings for the APC and the Tinubu administration, while the Obong commended Tinubu’s reforms, describing him as a leader with the courage to take difficult decisions for long-term benefit.
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