A Special Assistant to the Cross River State Governor on Youth Mobilization (South), Ekpo Okon Tete, has said the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) awareness campaign across the state aims to mobilize six million eligible voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tete, who spoke during a youth sensitization and commissioning exercise in Calabar, said the initiative was designed to “entrust the youth” to take ownership of the registration process and understand that the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) is not just a tool for voting but an essential means of personal identification in Nigeria.
“Many people believe that the PVC is only for voting, but it goes beyond that. It is necessary for school registration, travel and even national identification. We are encouraging all young people in Cross River to register,” Tete said.
The exercise attracted over 200 youth from all seven LGAs of the southern senatorial district of the state.
He emphasized that increasing the state’s voter turnout to six million would improve its political relevance and bargaining power at the national level.
“Once you have the numbers, you have a stronger voice in national politics. We want Cross River to be heard. With six million votes, our governor will have the strength to negotiate better for our people,” he said.
Tete, who described Governor Bassey Otu as a “youth-friendly and transformative leader”, urged youths to mobilize others in markets, schools, churches and communities to register for their PVCs, assuring that the governor’s development strides deserve continued support.
He warned the youth against deception by opposition parties, stressing that “any state that opposes the national will suffer setbacks,” and called on all residents to support the Otu-led administration.
Also speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Political Affairs, Office of the Chief of Staff, Dunamis Archibong, revealed that Governor Otu had approved the establishment of two voter registration support centers in each of the 18 local government areas of the state to assist in the exercise of the TRC.
Archibong explained that the exercise is non-partisan and is designed to complement the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by bringing registration services closer to the people.
“His Excellency has put in place modalities to ensure that no one is left out. These centers are not just for party members. Whether you belong to APC, PDP or any other party, as long as you are Cross Riverian, you can register,” he said.
According to him, the centers are operated by trained “tech teams” who handle online pre-registration before applicants proceed to INEC offices for biometric capture.
He added that the TRC exercise, which began in the southern senatorial district, has now been extended to the central zone and will soon move to the northern zone of the state.
“The target of six million is achievable. We are already seeing massive participation in the southern and central districts. Once we collect reports from the remaining areas, the numbers will speak for themselves,” Archibong assured.
The awareness campaign is part of Governor Otu’s “People First” agenda, which aims to increase civic participation, ensure electoral preparedness and strengthen Cross River State’s political voice at the national level.
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