Betta Edu has characterized the 2023 general elections as a “difficult” cycle for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State, warning that the party must significantly escalate its grassroots operations to avoid a repeat in 2027. Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ summit convened by Governor Bassey Otu at the Calabar International Convention Centre on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, the former National Women Leader noted that the party’s failure to secure the state for the presidency in 2023 remains a critical wake-up call. For the APC, this admission signals a shift from post-election celebration to an aggressive, early-start mobilization strategy.
The political and strategic consequence of this “honesty session” is a new mandate for party loyalists to deliver no fewer than 1.5 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Cross River. Edu highlighted that the 2023 performance underscored a disconnect that must be bridged before the next polls. From a logistical standpoint, the party is now aligning its internal congresses with the recently released INEC timetable and the Electoral Act 2026, ensuring that the APC’s machinery is legally and technically compliant well before the campaign season officially begins.
Analytically, the “Edu Strategy” focuses on a comprehensive “Election Training” model for grassroots members. She emphasized that the newly signed electoral laws and updated procedures—including the specifics of electronic result transmission require a massive voter education drive. By ensuring that voters understand the interplay between manual and electronic processes, the party aims to eliminate the “information gap” that contributed to past electoral setbacks. This “Data-Driven Mobilization” is intended to make the APC’s 2027 presence in Cross River a more technically sophisticated and unified effort.
The impact on “Party Inclusivity and Readiness” is a vital dimension of this repositioning. Edu urged stakeholders to return to their respective wards and local government areas to conduct transparent congresses, stressing that “everyone has to adjust” to the new political realities. This call for inclusive engagement is designed to consolidate gains and prevent internal friction or “unwanted occurrences” that have historically fractured the party’s strength. In response, National Assembly members from the state have pledged to intensify mobilization across their constituencies, creating a synchronized “Top-Down” and “Bottom-Up” approach to voter recruitment.
Furthermore, the timing of the meeting reflects a growing trend among Nigeria’s major parties to start “pre-campaign” activities over 18 months before the actual polls. By focusing on ward-level repositioning now, the Cross River APC is attempting to build an insurmountable lead in voter registration and loyalty. Edu’s emphasis on “providing information to our people” suggests that the 2027 battle in the state will be fought as much on the ground through education as it will be in the media through rhetoric.
The long-term economic and political outlook for Cross River depends on the party’s ability to turn these 1.5 million projected votes into a reality. As Governor Bassey Otu’s administration moves to integrate these political targets with his “People First” developmental agenda, the party hope is that tangible governance will make the 2027 win much “easier” than the 2023 struggle. For now, the Cross River APC is officially on a war footing, with the ward congresses serving as the first test of this renewed unity.
