Otu & Odey: A Partnership Forged In Trust

By Dr. Inyali Peter 

Rumour is a coward’s weapon. It strikes in the dark, thrives on silence, and dies the moment truth walks into the room. For months, whispers filled Cross River’s political air that Governor Bassey Otu was preparing to drop his deputy. Today, with the nomination of the Deputy Governor as candidate for the office in 2027, that rumour lies exposed for what it always was; mischief.

Trust is not proclaimed. It is demonstrated. When Governor Otu handed over the reins of this state to his deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey while away on leave, he did something few governors in our history have dared to do. That single act spoke louder than any press statement ever could.

Some will call this mere procedure. It was not. Handing over power is a legal formality; handing over power without fear is a statement of character. Otu did not merely obey the law, he affirmed a partnership. He told Cross River who he trusts with its future.

Together, Otu and Odey have brought dignity in office. Their accessibility, their humility, their composed public bearing and many more are not small things. In a political culture too often defined by arrogance, they have restored class to leadership itself.

Beyond personality, the decision to retain art. Hon. Odey carries weight for our state’s fragile unity. The decision to retain the deputy governorship position in the North beyond 2027 show that Otu appreciates what the North did for the South in 2023. It also shows that he has chosen partnership over political convenience. As a son of the North, I recognise this gesture as an investment in Cross River’s cohesion, not a calculated risk.

Let the mischief makers churn their rumours elsewhere. The North sees this trust, and the North does not forget honour shown to it. Come 2027, that gratitude will not remain sentiment, it will translate into votes, mobilisation, and overwhelming support at the polls.

History will remember 2027 not merely as an election, but as the year Cross River chose continuity over confusion, partnership over pretence. Otu and Odey did not just survive the rumours, they silenced them with trust.

Thank you Governor Otu. Congratulations to Deputy Governor Odey. Congratulations to Cross River North.