Vice President Kashim Shettima Monday said the toughest phases of Nigeria’s aggressive economic reset undertaken by the administration of President Bola Tinubu are officially over, clearing the runway for an era of pure harvest, nationwide growth and prosperity.
He declared that the administration’s painful but necessary economic reforms have successfully laid the groundwork for prosperity, promising that the next phase will deliver the tangible fruits of these sacrifices to citizens.
Equally, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, challenged the people of Cross River State to surpass their previous electoral records by delivering an overwhelming vote for President Tinubu in the January 2027 presidential election.
Speaking in Calabar, Cross River State, during the APC presidential campaign rally, Shettima and Yilwatda, rallied support for the re-election of President Tinubu and the State Governor, Bassey Otu, as well as other APC candidates in the 2027 general election, describing them as trustworthy friends of the people.
Stating that the government had successfully completed the hardest part of the economic reset, Shettima argued that no rival political party had the capacity to alter the nation’s economic trajectory.
The Vice President assured that the upcoming second term would focus entirely on delivering prosperity and tangible rewards for all citizens if President Tinubu’s mandate was renewed.
According to him: “We are confident of this promise to deliver for this nation because we have already done the most difficult job of economic reset. None of the other options available has the capacity to move the needle of the economy. We have rescued the economy, and the road ahead is one of harvest. This second term is one of harvest, for you and all Nigerians.
“I therefore stand before you today to ask you, once again, to renew the mandate of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and myself as Vice President. And another term for Senator Bassey Edet Otu and Hon. Peter Odey as Governor and Deputy Governor of Cross River State, respectively.”
Shettima maintained that what had brought the APC and Nigerians together was an alliance for progress, prosperity, opportunity and dignity, stressing that the conviction that must govern every decision was that the people were the purpose.
He noted that the Tinubu administration and the APC were seeking the opportunity to carry their work into a second term because authority belonged to the people, and those entrusted with authority must return with an account of stewardship and a programmeworthy of further trust.
The Vice President commended the APC in the state for keeping its house in order and becoming a model of strength and vision, unity and discipline, courage and conviction, loyalty and service, sacrifice and solidarity, noting that the discipline within its ranks had produced diligence in government.
He said when the administration took office in 2023, it had no doubt about the need to open up Cross River State to the world, which informed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
“This is the wisdom behind the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway. This transformative infrastructure project will connect coastal communities. It will ease the movement of goods and people. It will expand tourism. It will attract investors and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Our vision is for Cross River to become a major beneficiary of this economic revolution,” he stated.
Shettima also said the Bakassi Deep Sea Port had received Federal Government approval and support under President Tinubu, pledging to make the dream come true as an international maritime gateway.
This gateway, according to him, would attract shipping companies, generate employment, stimulate industrial development, and open enormous economic opportunities for factories, businesses, and households sustained by trade.
He added that proposing Calabar as the location for the Gulf of Guinea Commission Secretariat would strengthen the state’s international visibility, attract diplomatic and commercial activity, stimulate hospitality and tourism, create employment, and translate regional cooperation into economic opportunities.
The Vice President assured that the Federal Government not only recognised Cross River’s littoral status but also acknowledged its efforts towards resolving the dispute over 46 oil wells.
He further stated that the government was prepared to ensure a resolution was reached to strengthen the state’s maritime identity and open prospects for greater participation in the blue economy, maritime investment, and potential derivation benefits.
On education, Shettima said the state was well-represented in the disbursement of education funds through NELFUND, which drives human capital development, provides relief for parents, ensures continued schooling for young people, and widens access to higher education.
He maintained that no parent should have to watch the abilities of their kids surrender to a shortage of money, saying the initiative aligned with Project HOPE Education for stronger foundational learning, teacher development, better school management, improved access to quality education and greater accountability.
Insisting that the administration had so much to finish and complete, the Vice President demanded continuity with scrutiny because citizens should never have to surrender their questions to demonstrate support.
He assured that the government would keep the affairs of the people at the centre, listen when households speak of hardship, act when communities identify neglect and correct what fails the public.
Earlier, Yilwatda, who appealed to the people of Cross River to support the party in the forthcoming elections at all levels, said President Tinubu was a change agent who deserved re-election on so many grounds.
He cited the consolidation of the Deep Sea Port project, the resuscitation of the Calabar Port, the trans-Sahara superhighway, among other numerous projects, as justification for supporting the APC ticket in the 2027 presidential poll.
Commending the people of Cross River for their impressive turnout and warm reception, the APC National Chairman described their enthusiasm as a demonstration of growing support for Tinubu and his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He, however, urged residents to translate the massive turnout at the rally into votes, stressing that the 2027 election presents an opportunity for the state to consolidate its position in Nigeria’s political and economic future.
Yilwatda said Cross River was strategically positioned to emerge as a major economic hub under the Tinubu administration, given its geographical advantages, commercial potential and maritime opportunities.
He identified the federal government’s infrastructure development agenda, particularly the revival of rail transportation, development of seaports and proposed nationwide superhighway network, as major initiatives capable of transforming the state’s economic fortunes and those of the wider South-South region.
According to him, the projects are designed to improve connectivity, facilitate the movement of goods and people, reduce transportation costs, stimulate investments and create employment opportunities.
“For Cross River State, the opportunities are enormous. An efficient rail network will improve the movement of people and goods, while functional seaports can expand maritime commerce, create jobs and open new opportunities for businesses. A modern highway network will further connect ports, production centres and commercial cities, integrating the state more effectively into Nigeria’s expanding economic landscape,” he said.
The APC National Chairman maintained that infrastructure development remained a critical component of Tinubu’s economic reform agenda, noting that improved connectivity would enable states to harness their comparative advantages, attract private investment and contribute more substantially to national development.
He urged the people of Cross River to look beyond the immediate excitement of political campaigns and consider the long-term benefits of continuity, infrastructure investment and economic reforms.
Yilwatda also called on APC members, party leaders, traditional institutions, community stakeholders, youths and women to intensify grassroots mobilisation and ensure that the party’s message reached every ward and community across the state.
He stressed that the task ahead required unity, effective organisation and sustained engagement with the electorate, adding that the APC was determined to consolidate its national political strength through a campaign anchored on its record, policies and vision for Nigeria.
Expressing confidence that Cross River would play a significant role in the APC’s 2027 electoral victory, Yilwatda urged residents to seize the opportunity to support the continuation of Tinubu’s administration.
He maintained that a renewed mandate would provide the government with the opportunity to deepen ongoing reforms, accelerate infrastructure delivery and expand economic opportunities for Nigerians.
The APC, therefore, called on the people of Cross River to convert the enthusiasm demonstrated at the Calabar rally into a decisive electoral statement in support of Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Agenda in 2027.
In his welcome address, Governor Otu saluted the courage and farsightedness of President Tinubu, particularly in leading Nigeria at a difficult time and yet on the path of genuine prosperity and sustainable development.
Highlighting the President’s policies in agriculture, education, industry and security, the governor assured that the people of Cross River would unanimously ensure President Tinubu’s re-election, noting that the benefits of the administration’s reforms were already manifesting and would yield greater benefits in the years to come.
On his part, Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, said President Tinubu had performed creditably well and was deserving of a second term, dispelling rumours that the northern part of the country would not support the President’s re-election bid.
Earlier, during a courtesy visit to the Palace of the Obong of Calabar, His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu, the Vice President said the visit to the royal father was to acquaint him with the party’s aspirations in the 2027 general elections and to pay homage to the traditional institution in the state.
He applauded the paramount ruler of the Efik people for his steadfast devotion and dedication to the preservation of the cultural heritage and virtues of the Efik nation, which he noted were worthy of emulation by political leaders across the country.
Governor Otu sought royal blessings and support for the APC and the Federal Government under President Tinubu.
In his remarks, the Obong of Calabar thanked his guests for the visit and the honour of presenting their wishes, aspirations and requests for royal recognition and approval.
He said the visit to the palace was the beginning of greater unity among traditional rulers in the state and urged unity and peaceful coexistence among leaders and people of the state.
The first-class monarch also applauded the reforms and policies of the Tinubu administration, describing the President as the man with the heart to take on difficult reforms with long-term benefits for the country and its citizens.
Deji Elumoye and Adedayo Akinwale
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