2027: Eteng, Ewa, Michael, Oden in Race For C' River Central Senatorial Seat

By Missang AKPET (Calabar) and Ogarekpe OGAREKPE (Ugep)

THE drums and wooden gongs of 2027 have started beating. The air is fouled by political talks and the great expectations ahead. The political spine doctors have begun their work. In the central, the atmosphere is gradually getting charged. Where two or three are gathered, the buzz bomb “Senate 2027.”

As characteristics of the political class, alignment and re-alignment are gradually taking shape. Governance is gradually given way to another round of politicking. Nocturnal meetings have commenced. The political actors have been discreetly setting up their campaign structures and consulting with relevant stakeholders, seeking for the political blessings. The hitherto forgotten stakeholders have again become the corner of the building.

Those eyeing the senatorial seat currently occupied by Sen Jones Eteng Williams have been gearing up to square up with him. Some say there are sent, others said they have been ordained. A few say they are out to serve and make the difference and possibly change the narratives. Be that as it may the game of 2027 has commenced.

Of course, the Central senatorial district has always prided itself of putting the best forward right from the days of Liyel Imoke to M. T. Mbu, Victor Ndoma Egba, John Owan Enoh, to Sandy Onoh down to the incumbent Senator Eteng Williams.

As we prepare to begin another electioneering circle ahead of the 2027 general elections, various political stalwarts are warming up to unseat the current senator from different platforms while the incumbent has declared and is looking forward to a second term in office. The possible contenders for the revered senatorial seat include Eteng Jonah Williams, Bassey Ewah, Sunday Michael and Eoden Ewa all from Yakurr local government area.

 ETENG JONAH WILIAMS

The Nkpani born lawmaker is the current occupier of the senatorial seat which he won in the last general elections under the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is a big wheel and cannot be written off. 

Eteng Jones, a thorough bread and experienced politician, has been a three term member of the Cross River State House of Assembly from 2011 to 2023 representing Yakurr II State Constituency and a one term speaker of the State House of Assembly from 2019 - 2023. He has built a long political career rooted in legislative experience, grassroots recognition and intra-party negotiation. His movement from state legislature to the national assembly positioned him within central political networks of governance and party influence, especially within the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Eteng looks very simple but very calculating. He has navigated all elections to the surprise of many ventured into murky waters of politics about 12 years ago to the surprise of many. He is calm and unpredictable statesman who is good at pulling the strings when it is less expected. He allows everyone say his piece and then he knows how to strike. His strengths lie in his extensive legislative exposure, having served multiple years in the state assembly and now in the Senate. This gives him institutional familiarity, influence, and credibility among political actors and voters.

His constituency engagement and project delivery in the area empowerment programs, educational support, and community-based outreach initiatives, his ability to maintain close political relationship with the key stakeholders at home and at national level are added advantage that strengthen his internal support ahead of party primaries. Besides, the Nkpani-born politician has solid local identity and support base.

However, Eteng needs to manage the ethno-local rivalry perception between Mkpani and Ugep political. If left unchecked, opponents can frame Eteng as representing a narrower local interest rather than the district’s broader collective identity. The perceived uneven project distribution across the senatorial district need to be looked into to avoid creating openings for political opponents to question fairness and inclusivity. The constituents expect more from Eteng’s representation. It is expected that he explores his closeness to national party proximity to attract more federal projects to the people and boost his chances of re-election.

His second term bid will therefore be shaped by a blend of performance, party power alignments and local political identity dynamics within Cross River Central. His success ahead of 2027 depends solely on his ability to step up his game, take up the gauntlet and show leadership. As the highest elected person in the central, this is the time to galvanise and mobilise the various stakeholders to queue into his second term project because 2027 is going to be a different ball game. This is the auspicious time to restore the confidence that made voters entrust him with their votes.

Eteng is a stabilizing, unifying figure who represents the entire senatorial district rather than one bloc. Besides, he seems to be in sync with the key king makers in the central. Above all, he has the financial muscle to prosecute his election. However, leveraging on his experience, performance, good relationship with the state governor and the leadership of the party at state and national, Senator Eteng is a front runner in 2027.

 BASSEY EKO EWA

Currently the Chairman of the Cross River State People's Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee, Bassey Eko Ewa is another experienced and dogged politician who is getting set to throw in the towel and test the waters.

Bassey Ewa also a former Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly and a two-term member of the House of Reps. representing Abi/Yakurr federal constituency contested the senatorial seat in 2023 under the PDP and lost to Eteng Williams of the APC 

The Ekori born Machiavellian former lawmaker is a grassroots politicians who has been steadfast and has street credibility and acceptance, which are his greatest assets going into the race. He is a veteran politician that has tasted political waters since 1999. He has been on the ballot since then and shouldn’t be taken for granted. He still enjoys large followership and acceptance from his people even though he hails from the same state constituency (Yakurr I) as the seating senator. His greatest setbacks going into the elections is finance and the uncertainty of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) who are yet to settle their political differences and factions in the state. But ignor Bassey at your own peril.

 SUNDAY MICHAEL

 Sunday Michael, Special Adviser to Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu on Obudu Ranch Resort, is another entrant into the senatorial race. Michale is seen as progressive, a transformative figure driving growth and progress in the state and beyond.

Michael’s academic and professional credentials are impressive. He holds a B.Sc and M.Sc in Entrepreneurship from the National Open University of Nigeria and is pursuing an Executive Master in Finance from Rome Business School. He has also undergone executive training in Healthy Urbanism at University College London and was awarded a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Honoris Causa from London Bridge Business School.

His professional excellence is further recognized through fellowships with the Institute of Professional Entrepreneurs and Strategic Administrators of Nigeria (FIPESA), the Institute of Professional Managers and Administrators of Nigeria (FIPMA), and the Africa Institute of Public Administration (DFAI).

Politically, Michael’s career began at the young age of 19 as ward secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Lagos. Over the years, he has held key positions including Deputy Secretary, Secretary, and Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council, (IPAC) Special Adviser on Inter Party Affairs under Governor Ben Ayade and was a governorship candidate of the Independent Democrats (ID) in 2019.

As Special Adviser on Obudu Ranch Resort, Michael has overseen the resort’s revitalization, guiding it into Nigeria’s top 100 hotels. He also led the development of the Master Plan for the Greater Calabar Capital City Development Authority and spearheaded the redesign of Obudu’s premium estates. His initiatives span media, education, ICT, and energy sectors.

Michael is expected to leverage his expertise in politics, entrepreneurship, and developmental experience to into politics and convince the party stakeholders that he is the right man for the job. And in readiness for the race ahead, Michael has commenced consultation with party leaders in the zone and has set up his campaign structure. He is man alone with no God-father behind him, he has some reach. He might be the dark horse and should not be under rated, considering his political pedigree and capacity to meander through turbulent times. But does Sunday Michael has the financial power to fight through the game? that is the question to answer in the next few months as electioneering gathers steam.

 ODEN EWA

Tagged "The New Kid on The Block" is not an everyday politician. He is another aspirant eyeing the coveted seat in 2027. He is a business man with some reach within the business community. he has some network of friends that cut across the state and is leveraging on it to push through his rumoured ambition.  

Though termed a political novice with his first entrance into politics, Ewa is the current Governor Bassey Otu's Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-governmental Relations. Oden's rumoured aspiration took the central senatorial district by storm and increasing the political stake.

He is a close ally of Governor Bassey Otu and is said to have his listening ears. This has left those watching with the belief that he is being anointed by the state governor to replace Senator Eteng as Senator representing Cross River Central hence his venture into the race.

As young as he is in the political circle, he enjoys youth’s followership, huge online fan base and followership largely due to the belief that he is anointed by the governor as the next senator representing Cross River Central. 

As at the time of going to the press, Oden Ewa has been discreetly consulting with some critical stakeholders across the nooks and crannies of the district, selling his candidature and what he intends to do. He has been engaging in various form of empowerment in readiness to throw in his hat into the race. He is said to be allegedly an “ordained” one from the Government House. Besides, he has the financial capacity to fund his election .. 

But Oden Ewa needs to create his own image and let people know that he is ripe for the Green Chamber. it is high time he dropped the alleged statement circulating on media space, saying he is “being sent.”. He should carve his own niche because political capital can sometimes be a disadvantage at the most auspicious time. But Ewa should not be taken for granted because politicism in Nigeria is determined by different variables.

 Conclusion

Observably, all four contenders hail from Yakurr local government area in the Central Senatorial district of the state. This isn't a coincidence but a result of the political pattern enjoyed in the Central senatorial district where the senatorial office is being rotated among the three federal constituencies namely Obubrab/Etung, Abi/Yakurr/and Ikom/Boki Federal Constituencies.

It is believed that Abi/Yakurr had taken their turn with Senator Liyel Imoke of Abi in 1992, M. T. Mbu from Boki did a single tenure in 1999 and handed over to Senator Victor Ndoma Egba from Ikom in 2003, taking the turns of Ikom/Boki federal constituency.

Ndoma Egba did a three term and was unseated by John Owan Enoh from Etung in 2015 who did a single term and was replaced by Senator Sandy Onoh in 2019 both from Etung thereby taking the turn of Obubrab/Etung. Onor left the seat to contest for governorship in 2023 where thereby creating room for Yakurr/Abi to take their turn.

Returning to Abi/Yakurr, with the current occupier of the house of Reps sit coming from Abi, it would be a wrong calculation for the senatorial ticket to go to Abi especially with the fact that Abi had already taken a turn with Liyel Imoke hence the Yakurr people laying claim to a turn.

The senatorial election in the central is going to be 'game for the Masters'; a game to be decided by those who have governorship ambition ahead of 2031. They will shape the senate politics and who emerges. Any of the aspirant who can play the game of the masters when it matters most and can be trusted by the ‘Masters’ will have the upper hand. In other words, whoever plays the game of the masters will likely emerge.