Eleven members of the Cross River State House of Assembly have reportedly engaged the leadership of Relax Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria (RTIFN), a political support movement backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, amid discussions surrounding party tickets, re-election ambitions and political coordination ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The delegation, led by the House Majority Leader, Rt. Hon. Francis Asuquo, visited the movement’s national office and met with Hon. Innocent Egede, its National Director of Strategic Deployment and Implementation.
Reports of the meeting initially portrayed the legislators as dissatisfied with the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket arrangements and reluctant to extend the same level of support they expressed for President Tinubu to other APC candidates in Cross River State, including Governor Bassey Edet Otu.
The reported disagreement was linked to the re-election ambitions of lawmakers seeking second or third terms in the State Assembly.
APC Ticket Dispute Raises Questions About Party Unity
The development highlights the challenges political parties face in balancing individual ambitions with collective electoral interests, particularly as politicians begin positioning themselves for the 2027 elections.
For sitting legislators, securing a party ticket can be a decisive factor in their political future. Consequently, disagreements over nominations and re-election opportunities can create tensions between elected representatives, party leaders and other influential stakeholders.
In Cross River State, the reported engagement has drawn attention to the relationship between lawmakers’ political aspirations and the APC’s broader electoral strategy.
However, the characterisation of the meeting as a gathering of aggrieved lawmakers has been disputed by some participants. In separate responses published by Paradise News, Rt. Hon. Dr. Davies Etta and Hon. Okon Owuna challenged aspects of the initial account, describing their participation as a courtesy or solidarity visit rather than evidence of a coordinated rebellion against the party leadership.
Their responses introduce an important distinction between seeking greater participation in a political support organisation and declaring opposition to the party’s candidates.
Innocent Egede, Bala Ahmed Seek Reconciliation
According to the initial report, Hon. Innocent Egede appealed to the visiting legislators to reconsider their position and cooperate with other APC candidates in Cross River State.
Egede reportedly stressed the importance of unity, strategic coordination and effective grassroots mobilisation, warning that internal divisions could weaken the party’s performance during the forthcoming elections.
He also reiterated RTIFN’s reported target of mobilising 600,000 votes for President Tinubu in Cross River State. Achieving such a target would require sustained political engagement, credible local structures and coordinated efforts across the state’s constituencies.
Following the meeting, Egede reportedly led the delegation to engage Hon. Bala Ahmed, the movement’s Director-General.
Ahmed also appealed for cooperation and alignment with the movement’s electoral objectives. He reportedly pledged to integrate the lawmakers into its national operational structure, subject to the directive of Barr. Seyi Tinubu, identified in the report as the movement’s chief founder.
The proposed integration could provide an avenue for the legislators to participate in the group’s mobilisation activities. Nevertheless, its practical impact would depend on the terms of the arrangement and whether the participating lawmakers accept the proposed role.
Political Implications for Governor Bassey Otu and Tinubu
The episode raises questions about how the APC will manage competing ambitions as the 2027 elections approach.
President Tinubu’s re-election campaign and Governor Otu’s second-term ambition may require coordinated political support across Cross River State. However, national and state-level political interests do not always align automatically, especially when prospective candidates believe their individual ambitions have been overlooked.
If disagreements over party tickets remain unresolved, they could affect campaign coordination, grassroots mobilisation and the willingness of some stakeholders to invest their political influence in a common electoral project.
On the other hand, an effective reconciliation process could turn a potentially divisive situation into an opportunity to strengthen internal communication and improve cooperation among party members.
The crucial question is whether the engagement will produce a mutually acceptable arrangement or whether disagreements about political representation will persist.
Why the Allegations Require Careful Reporting
The subsequent responses attributed to Davies Etta and Okon Owuna underline the importance of distinguishing between confirmed events and disputed interpretations.
A visit to a political organisation’s national office does not, by itself, establish that every participant shares the same grievances or has adopted a common position against party candidates.
Similarly, reported dissatisfaction with nomination arrangements should not automatically be interpreted as a decision to oppose the party’s candidates at the polls.
The lawmakers’ individual positions, the precise nature of their discussions and any formal decisions arising from the engagement remain important considerations in assessing the political significance of the visit.
Responsible reporting requires that the claims made in the original account be considered alongside the subsequent clarifications from the participants concerned.
What Lies Ahead for the APC in Cross River?
The immediate challenge for APC stakeholders will be to maintain communication, address legitimate concerns and establish a working relationship that accommodates individual political interests without undermining the party’s broader objectives.
For RTIFN, the reported engagement presents an opportunity to demonstrate whether its national structure can facilitate dialogue and mobilise political support across different constituencies.
For the lawmakers, the coming months may be critical in determining how their re-election ambitions and participation in the movement fit into the wider political arrangement in Cross River State.
Ultimately, the significance of the meeting will be measured not by the headlines surrounding it but by the clarity of the participants’ positions, the resolution of any genuine disagreements and the extent of cooperation that follows.
As the 2027 elections draw closer, the handling of internal party differences could prove as important as campaign messaging and voter mobilisation. Whether the latest engagement strengthens the APC’s position in Cross River State remains to be seen.
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