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Dansuki’s Governorship Bid: A Beacon of Experience, Equity and Urgent Change for Cross River

Dansuki’s Governorship Bid: A Beacon of Experience, Equity and Urgent Change for Cross River

Kalu Okoronkwo 

In a state yearning for transformative leadership, Hon. Daniel Asuquo, affectionately known as Dansuki, stands as a formidable candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial race. 

With over two decades of dedicated public service, Dansuki’s track record of legislative accomplishments and grassroots impact starkly contrasts with the underwhelming tenure of incumbent Governor Prince Bassey Otu. 

As Cross River grapples with economic stagnation, misplaced priorities and unfulfilled promises, Dansuki’s Ejagham roots, commitment to rotational equity, and willingness to embrace a one-term pledge position him as the ideal leader to steer the state towards prosperity. Moreover, in an era where the All Progressives Congress (APC) is increasingly accused of perpetuating national poverty through ineffective policies, Dansuki should boldly pivot to a vibrant opposition platform like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or African Democratic Congress (ADC) to amplify his vision.

Dansuki’s political journey is a testament to sustained excellence and constituent focused governance. Beginning as Personal Assistant to the Chairman of Akamkpa Local Government Council in 1996, he advanced to Director General of the Cross River State Electrification Agency from 2008 to 2010, where he championed rural electrification projects that illuminated remote communities and boosted local economies. 

Elected to the House of Representatives for Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency in 2011, Dansuki served until 2023, earning acclaim for his contributions to infrastructure, finance and community development. During his tenure, he facilitated scholarships, youth empowerment programmes, and constituency projects that directly improved lives efforts recognized when he dedicated a prestigious students’ award to his constituents in 2014. 

His superlative performance as a ranking member included advocating for federal allocations that enhanced roads, healthcare and education in his district, setting a benchmark for accountable representation. 

Unlike fleeting politicians, Dansuki’s longevity in office reflects a deep commitment to Cross River’s progress, making him uniquely equipped to tackle gubernatorial challenges. 

This stands in sharp relief to Governor Otu’s administration, which, two years in, has been plagued by criticisms of poor performance and socio-economic struggles. Midterm assessments paint a grim picture: economic indicators reveal growing public discontent, with Otu’s optimistic rhetoric clashing against widespread pessimism over stalled development critics, including PDP support groups, decry the era as one where “Cross River has never had it so bad,” highlighting governance failures that have exacerbated poverty and unemployment. 

A particularly contentious decision is the recent procurement of two Bombardier CRJ1000 aircraft for the state

owned Cally Air at an estimated cost running into billions of naira, with plans for three more. 

Many argue that this is wasteful extravagance, especially given the airline’s history of minimal returns under previous administration yielding no substantial value to the state while essential sectors like healthcare and education languish. Similarly, Cross River’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), while showing some nominal increases to around N46 billion in early 2025, remains below the national average at about 20% of total operating revenue, underscoring inefficiencies in revenue mobilization amid broader economic woes. 

The state’s performance at the 22nd National Sports Festival in May 2025, despite early medal wins, has been overshadowed by broader critiques of inadequate preparation and funding, reflecting a pattern of underinvestment in youth and sports development.

These shortcomings illustrate a leadership vacuum that Dansuki’s proven expertise could fill.

Beyond experience, Dansuki’s candidacy champions ethnic equity in a state where the Efik community has disproportionately held key offices. 

Figures like former Governor Donald Duke and current Governor Otu, both Efik, have dominated southern representation, marginalizing other groups within the Southern Senatorial District. As an Ejagham indigene from Akamkpa, Dansuki offers a fresh perspective, ensuring broader inclusivity and addressing long-standing grievances among non-Efik southerners. 

This aligns seamlessly with Cross River’s “Back to South” rotational governorship agreement, an unwritten pact promoting zonal fairness across the North, Central, and South districts. Having rotated back to the South in 2023, a Dansuki governorship could honour this by committing to a single term much like Peter Obi’s principled stance and pledge to a nation desirous of surgical change. 

A one-term pledge would reinforce unity, allowing the cycle to continue equitably in 2031 and preventing any district’s dominance.

Party dynamics further strengthen Dansuki’s case. Having recently joined the APC after stints in PDP and Labour Party, he should not hesitate to defect again if the ruling party hinders his pro-people agenda.

The APC’s national track record marked by policy critics entrench poverty through inflation, insecurity and economic hardship mirrors Otu’s state-level failures, making it an ill-fit for Cross River’s revival. Switching to the PDP, with its historical stronghold in the state, or the ADC, known for progressive ideals, would invigorate Dansuki’s campaign, attracting disillusioned voters and robust networks Such a move, far from shameful, echoes strategic shifts by successful leaders prioritizing impact over loyalty.

In essence, Dansuki isn’t just able to run he’s the superior choice. His legislative triumphs, ethnic representation, adherence to rotation via a one-term commitment, and potential opposition alignment promise a departure from Otu’s era of waste and underachievement. As 2027 approaches, Cross Riverians must rally behind Dansuki for the equitable, experienced leadership the state desperately needs.

* Mr. Okoronkwo, a social commentator, writes from Lagos

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Kalu Okoronkwo  In a state yearning for transformative leadership, Hon. Daniel Asuquo, affectionately known as Dansuki, stands as a formidable candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial race.  With over two decades
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Lagos Emphasizes Crucial Role of Civil Servants in Anti-Money Laundering War

Lagos Emphasizes Crucial Role of Civil Servants in Anti-Money Laundering War

The Lagos State Government at the weekend called for cooperation and vigilance among stakeholders across all economic spheres of the country in the war against money laundering and terrorism financing, describing it as a threat to global peace.
Declaring open a three-day strategic level anti-money laundering and countering terrorism workshop for senior officials of the Lagos State Government in conjunction with the International Institute for African Defence, Security & Governance, in Epe, Lagos, the state Commissioner for Finance, Abayomi Oluyomi, said the training is to enable the civil servants as critical stakeholders gain insights, skills, and strategies needed to enhance their professional capabilities and “contribute to the collective efforts to create a safer and more secure world.”
The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Treasury Office, and Accountant-General of the state, Dr. Abiodun Muritala, reminded the participants “that the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing requires continuous vigilance, adaptability, and a spirit of cooperation across borders and sectors.
“Your role in this mission is crucial, and your dedication is vital to our collective success,” he added, expressing confidence that the training will empower them to make a positive impact in their various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and Lagos State at Large.
He also challenged the participants to make the results of all they learn felt in the days and years ahead in the journey to building a brighter and more resilient future for all.
Welcoming participants earlier, Major General (Retired) Emmanuel Whyte, Country Director of the International Institute for African Defence, Security & Governance, said the workshop’s theme “reflects an urgent and necessary call to action.”
Africa and indeed the globe, he continued, “are witnessing an evolving landscape of financial crimes, terrorism financing, and abuse of state systems.”
These, he told the participants, are manifesting in increased “illicit financial flows, procurement fraud, anonymous corporate structures, and weak internal control systems that continue to threaten our national security and development.
“As many of us are aware, Nigeria recently met the requirements for exiting the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. This effort demanded a whole-of-society response, and the role of our subnational actors, particularly strategic-level officials like yourselves cannot be overstated. Your vigilance, commitment, and leadership are essential to ensuring that Nigeria not only meets but sustains international AML/CFT standards,” he stressed.
Lagos, as Nigeria’s centre of excellence, he said, “must continue to build resilient governance systems that is capable of identifying and mitigating risks as well as protecting public resources from misuse and criminal infiltration.”
Also speaking on the essence of the training, Whyte said it “seeks to create preventive operational systems that aligns with national and international compliance standards. It is about strategic foresight, institutional discipline, and integrity of purpose. Driving a preventive organisational culture that can withstand pressure, systems that works, regardless of interference.”
Addressing newsmen on the sidelines of the workshop, Ade Shonubi, a facilitator said the programme is meant to educate senior civil servants in the state “on what money laundering is, what the risks and impacts are, both on the state and themselves as individuals.”
Many people, he regretted, do not understand what money laundering is, whether it is the proceeds of theft or kidnapping, stressing that the 2022 Act is more encompassing that that, as it touches their individual lives.
“Some of the things other people do in different countries touches us as Nigerians,” stressing that the more people that can be educated at sessions such as this, especially those involved in governance and carrying out service on the evil of money laundering, the better for everybody.
“A lot of people interact with them for one business or the other, and also the state government, especially Lagos State and if it were to be a country of its own it would be the fifth largest economy in Africa. As such, the impact Lagos State has on the country is quite significant.
“When we reviewed the peer group- Edmond Group, FATF that put us on the gray list, they talked to those who are in government and Lagos State will be one of them, and that is one of the reasons we need to educate the top civil servants of the state and get them to understand what money laundering is all about,” he stressed.
General Whyte further told newsmen that the training is important because the country and certain strategic level leaders ought to know that money laundering and financing terrorism affect Nigeria as a nation negatively.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), he stressed, has a list of actionable recommendations that affect nations, stressing that “Nigeria is, in fact, about exiting the gray list because we’ve met some of the require met some of the requirements.”
“Money laundering, when alluded to a country affects the financial integrity of that country’s economy. As such, this training is aimed, not just to create awareness, but bringing forth implementation plans that can help Lagos State ensure that their handling of public finances and procurement processes meet the international integrity standard, just as it will also impact positively on Nigeria.
“One of the things lacking in the eyes of foreign investors when it comes to doing business in Nigeria is that our financial dealings do not have integrity,” he added, noting that the participants will leave the training better informed to impact their MDAs positively when it comes to handling public funds and better placed to earn public trust by financial officers and procurement process.
Mrs. Saheed Rasheedat, Director, Project Financial Management Office of the State Treasury Office, a participant, said the workshop has exposed them to the danger posed by money laundering activities and how to check it, and not participate innocently in such activities especially as the Act does not excuse ignorance as public officers in the course of performing their duties.
“The workshop has thrown a lot of insights to help us guide ourselves while discharging our duties as public officers,” she added.
According to the organisers, Lagos State is pioneering the process which will be replicated the training across states and various sectors of the country’s economy.

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The Lagos State Government at the weekend called for cooperation and vigilance among stakeholders across all economic spheres of the country in the war against money laundering and terrorism financing,
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Yoruba Heritage Forum Warns Alaafin Against Stirring Supremacy Tensions With Ooni

Yoruba Heritage Forum Warns Alaafin Against Stirring Supremacy Tensions With Ooni

The Yoruba Heritage Forum has issued a stern warning to Oba Abimbola Owoade, the Alaáfin of Ọ̀yọ́, cautioning him against what it described as attempts to distort Yoruba history and reignite traditional rivalries, particularly concerning the status of the Ooni of Ifẹ̀.

This follows reports that the Alaafin allegedly issued an ultimatum to the Ooni, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, over the conferment of a chieftaincy title on prominent businessman Chief Dotun Sanusi.

In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Olufemi Aduwo, the Forum described the Alaafin’s actions as “legally baseless and historically unsustainable,” stressing that there is no valid court ruling granting the Alaafin supremacy over the Ooni in matters of traditional authority.

“Any reliance on such a phantom judgment constitutes a grave error and distortion of Yoruba history,” Aduwo stated. He emphasised that while the Ọ̀yọ́ Empire held significant sway in certain periods, it never represented the entirety of Yorùbáland, nor did its political influence equate to spiritual or cultural supremacy.

Citing historical and colonial records, Aduwo reaffirmed that the Ooni of Ifẹ̀ remains the spiritual father of the Yoruba people — a status that transcends geography and political boundaries. He referenced key texts, including Samuel Johnson’s The History of the Yorubas (1921) and British colonial intelligence reports, which consistently recognised Ifẹ̀ as the cradle of the Yoruba civilisation and the Ooni as the custodian of its heritage.

“Traditional authority in Yorubaland is not coterminous with modern local government areas,” Aduwo said. “The Ooni’s position is not merely that of a local king in Ifẹ̀, but a symbolic and spiritual figure whose relevance extends across the Yoruba world.”

The Forum also dismissed any suggestion that chieftaincy titles conferred by the Alaafin, including the historically significant but now largely ceremonial title of Ààrẹ Ọ̀nà Kakanfò, carry authority beyond Oyo and its surrounding areas.

In a direct warning to Oba Owoade, Aduwo said: “The Alaafin is firmly advised to desist from issuing childish threats or attempting to re-ignite dormant rivalries. The Yoruba nation, already burdened by insecurity and economic instability, cannot afford another crisis over chieftaincy politics.”

He concluded by affirming that any attempt to provoke unrest under the guise of traditional supremacy would be met with resistance — both legally and by the collective will of the Yoruba people.

The statement adds to ongoing debates within Yorubaland over the scope of influence and historical legacy of various royal institutions, amid growing calls for unity and cultural preservation in the face of national challenges.

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The Yoruba Heritage Forum has issued a stern warning to Oba Abimbola Owoade, the Alaáfin of Ọ̀yọ́, cautioning him against what it described as attempts to distort Yoruba history and
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NACCIMA, TETFund Forge Alliance to Boost Innovation, Skills, Economic Growth

NACCIMA, TETFund Forge Alliance to Boost Innovation, Skills, Economic Growth

In a significant move to deepen collaboration between Nigeria’s private sector and tertiary education institutions, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) have agreed to a new strategic partnership aimed at driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness.

Led by its National President and Chairman of the Organized Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN), Engr. Jani Ibrahim, a high-level NACCIMA delegation visited the TETFund headquarters in Abuja today.

The team was received by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, during what both parties described as a milestone engagement.

Discussions during the meeting focused on collaborative initiatives including entrepreneurship development, support for the green economy, commercialization of academic research, industry–academia synergy, and skills development to better equip graduates for the evolving demands of the labour market.

A key outcome of the meeting was the mutual agreement to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and establish a NACCIMA–TETFund Joint Technical Committee that will oversee the implementation of agreed initiatives.

Both sides also expressed commitment to developing additional partnership frameworks that will bolster Nigeria’s competitiveness and economic resilience.

Also present at the engagement, Prof. Umar Bindir lauded the collaboration, highlighting the need for structured, long-term partnerships between academia and the private sector to generate practical solutions to Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.

Arc. Echono, in his remarks, praised NACCIMA’s leadership in promoting enterprise and innovation, and reaffirmed TETFund’s readiness to work closely with the Organized Private Sector to foster research, innovation, and economic transformation.

This collaboration positions NACCIMA as a key driver of national development, helping to bridge the gap between education, enterprise, and policymaking, while empowering young Nigerians and strengthening the foundation of the country’s knowledge economy.

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In a significant move to deepen collaboration between Nigeria’s private sector and tertiary education institutions, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the Tertiary
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Peter Obi, Take the Short Road to Aso Rock

Peter Obi, Take the Short Road to Aso Rock

By Olugbenga Adejumo

As I settled down to write this epistle, I prayed fervently. I prayed with infinite hope that His Excellency, Peter Gregory Obi, would appreciate my pure motives and steadfast resolve.
It is not every time that history knocks twice at the same door. And when it does, the wise open it. Not with hesitation. But with the clarity of one who knows that opportunity often comes disguised as compromise.
For the former Anambra state governor, the moment is upon him. He stands at a political crossroads, beloved by millions, buoyed by the unyielding passion of the Obidients, and regarded by many Nigerians as the embodiment of integrity in a political landscape often drenched in corruption and cynicism. Yet, the pathway to the presidency, his ultimate destination may not lie in the trivial catchphrase of “one term only.”
It may lie in partnership.

Across Nigeria’s political horizon, the permutations are loud. The whispers have grown into open debate. Can Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi possibly be on the same ticket in 2027.
The permutation is this. Atiku, the political titan from the North, has a war chest deep enough to contend with the entrenched machinery of incumbency. Then, he is joined by Peter Obi, who hails from the Southeast, a man bearing the credibility, integrity, and impeccable character that Nigerians desperately yearn for.
The arithmetic is clear: Atiku’s electoral dominance in most Northern states in 2023, plus Obi’s sweeping victory in the Southeast, will create a coalition of strength that Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s APC would find difficult, perhaps impossible, to withstand.
This is no mere fantasy. This is cold electoral mathematics.
There is no question that Obi’s supporters fear the harsh realities. They know presidential elections in Nigeria demand resources and ground networks that even his unmatched popularity cannot instantly conjure. They know that parts of the far North regrettably still wrestle with the idea, not the man, but the idea of an Igbo president. And while Obi’s image is beginning to chip away at this sad prejudice, it may not be enough to break the wall in 2027 on his own terms.
But as Atiku’s running mate, with a solemn and publicly stated one-term commitment from Atiku, he would not merely be vice president, he would be President-in-waiting. And with that deal sealed in daylight, not whispers, Nigerians will see 2027 not as Atiku’s coronation but as the beginning of Obi’s ascent.
Before the elections, he must negotiate not just a seat at the table as a vice president but the power to steer the nation’s economy. Atiku should govern as the statesman, while Obi drives the economic renaissance and leads the war against corruption, his natural battleground. Nigerians already believe in his fiscal discipline, clean record, and his irreversible refusal to feed from the public trough.
As Prof Jones Enuma, a US based Igbo man from Delta state, puts it,
“This is not about shrinking his ambition. This is about sharpening it. In politics, as in chess, the surest way to checkmate is sometimes through the knight’s move — a sidestep that surprises your opponent and secures the board.”
Now illustrating excitedly, as if speaking directly to the former governor, he added,
“Imagine 2031: An accomplished and fulfilled Atiku Abubakar steps aside. Then you, Peter Obi, having served as vice president with tangible achievements in economic reform, nationwide infrastructure revival, and corruption dismantling, then you step forward with both North and Southeast behind you. Not as an outsider pleading for trust, but as a proven national leader, forged in the crucible of governance. Of course, the election would have been almost won before the first ballot was cast,”he enthused as his lips curved into a gentle smile, eyes glowing with a quiet satisfaction.
It must be stressed that in the race to rescue Nigeria from the grip of misrule and mortal corruption, sentiment must yield to strategy. Obi can storm the gates now and risk being outgunned once again or march in with a seasoned ally, secure the citadel, and prepare to lead the nation without the weight of an untested national mandate.

This is the unassailable road to Aso Rock. And it may be the only one paved with both destiny and certainty.
Let Atiku commit. Let the nation witness it. Then, Obi would step into the partnership, not as a deputy in shadow, but as the next president-in-waiting.

Obi must take this historic step. And the time is now.
Nigerians are groaning under the weight of economic strangulation. Families are suffocated by rising prices, youths are crushed by joblessness, and hope seems to hang by a thread. Yet, in the hearts of millions, a silent prayer continues to rise; that God may send them a political messiah, a leader who will not betray their faith, a statesman who will place the nation above self.
That yearning, that desperate cry, may find expression in 2027 if Peter, “the Rock,” Obi joins forces with the seasoned statesman, Atiku Abubakar, to forge a formidable front. Such an alliance has the potential to break the chains of despair and reawaken a nation’s fading dream.

For, in that moment, Nigerians will find their voice again. They will remember the words of the late Zambian leader, Kenneth Kaunda, who, in his brilliant book, Zambia Shall Be Free, captured the cry and the triumph of a people’s spirit:

“For a long time , our people have been shouting Kwachaa (a new dawn). We have been shouting it in darkness. But now there is a grey light of a new dawn on the horizon, and I know that Zambia (Nigeria) shall be free.”

*Adejumo wrote in from the US

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By Olugbenga Adejumo As I settled down to write this epistle, I prayed fervently. I prayed with infinite hope that His Excellency, Peter Gregory Obi, would appreciate my pure motives
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Foremost Economist, Jeffrey Sachs, Joins SPPG’s Global Faculty

Foremost Economist, Jeffrey Sachs, Joins SPPG’s Global Faculty

The School of Politics, Policy, and Governance (SPPG) has announced renowned economist, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, as member of its global faculty.
A statement jointly signed by Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili and Alero Ayida-Otobo, said Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, one of the world’s foremost economists and advocates for sustainable development, has joined the SPPG as a Distinguished Member of its Global Faculty.
Professor Sachs currently serves as University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University.
As President of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Sachs has advised three United Nations Secretaries-General, and has been named twice to TIME magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
The statement said Sachs, a long-standing partner in Africa’s development journey, has spearheaded transformative initiatives, including the Millennium Villages Project, which improved rural livelihoods in countries such as Ghana, Ethiopia, and Malawi.
He has collaborated with the African Union on sustainable growth strategies, supported Nigeria’s drive toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and worked with governments across the continent to strengthen healthcare systems, expand renewable energy, and combat hunger.
His insights have helped African nations chart pathways for economic growth and good governance.
Speaking on the appointment, SPPG Founder, Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili said:
“Professor Sachs embodies the values and global vision that inspire SPPG’s mission. His deep commitment to principled governance, sustainable growth, and human development perfectly aligns with our mission to equip and inspire leaders who will shape the continent’s future.”
Reacting to his appointment, Professor Sachs said:
“I am honored to join the global faculty of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance and to start off with my inaugural lecture for the launch of SPLN – the SPPG Public Leadership Network”.
The SPPG is a bold and visionary commitment to raise a new generation of ethical, competent and capable leaders to build just and prosperous societies in Africa for democratic renewal and sustainable development”.
Professor Sachs is the esteemed keynote speaker for the SPPG Public Leaders Network Global Launch, scheduled for August 21, 2025. The event will bring together leaders, policymakers, and changemakers from across Africa and the world on the theme: Empowering Public Leaders: Unlocking Potential Within the SPPG Network.

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The School of Politics, Policy, and Governance (SPPG) has announced renowned economist, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, as member of its global faculty.A statement jointly signed by Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili and Alero
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Support Media With Tax Incentives, Relief on Import Duties, Soneye Urges Govt

Support Media With Tax Incentives, Relief on Import Duties, Soneye Urges Govt

*Says tax reliefs, independent fund for journalism key to media sustainability

Former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Femi Soneye, has called on the Federal Government to support the Nigerian media with targeted incentives, including tax reliefs and import duty waivers on essential media tools.

Soneye made the appeal in Abuja on Tuesday after receiving the NUJ FCT Excellence in Corporate Communications Award, conferred on him by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council.

The NUJ leadership, led by Chairperson Grace Ike, alongside the Deputy Chair, Secretary-General, and other executives, described Soneye as a consummate professional who has distinguished himself with tact and excellence in the communications field.

In his remarks, Soneye noted that while the Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, it continues to grapple with systemic challenges that weaken its effectiveness.

“The Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, but it also faces systemic challenges, financial, political, legal, and technological that weaken its effectiveness. The government can play a supportive role by granting tax incentives or relief on import duties for newsprint, broadcast equipment, and digital infrastructure,” he said.

He also urged the Federal Government to establish an independent media development fund to support investigative journalism, community radio, and newsroom innovation, drawing parallels with models in South Africa, the United States, and Canada.

The award underscores Soneye’s long-standing contributions to journalism and corporate communications, as well as his advocacy for a stronger, independent, and sustainable Nigerian media.

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*Says tax reliefs, independent fund for journalism key to media sustainability Former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Femi Soneye, has called
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