By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
A large number of Yoruba women and youths resident in Cross River State staged a public walk, called Oodua Women Solidarity Unity.
The walk took off from the centre of town, Millennium Park Calabar and comprised participants in their traditional colours and display of cultural dances.
In part, the unity and solidarity walk was to declare total support for the re-election of both President Bola Tinubu and Governor Bassey Otu during the election coming up in January 2027.
President of Oodua Progressive Women in Politics, Mrs. Adejoke Oyeleye, said the essence of the walk was to project Yoruba heritage while simultaneously declaring solidarity with the present administrations at the federal and state levels.
She said, “The aim of the unity walk is to showcase our culture and show solidarity to President Tinubu and Governor Bassey Otu. We are committed to their re-election,” Oyeleye said.
“Our choice is informed by their performances. Their infrastructural, economic and social performance are visible. Supporting them will enable consolidation on the gains made in the first term for a better tomorrow,” she added.
Addressing the participants, the Chief Imam, Kabeer Olowolayemo, said the walk was a demonstration of total allegiance to the two leaders.
“This Unity Walk is a demonstration of total allegiance to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Bassey Otu. Under the Otu administration, all tribes have been brought together irrespective of background,” Imam Olowolayemo stated.
Speaking, too, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Edema Erom, noted that the Yoruba community has lived in the state for decades and has become woven into the socio-economic and cultural fabric of the state.
According to her, the event was symbolic because it showcased not just Yoruba culture and tradition, but the larger Cross River spirit of accommodation and unity in diversity.
“We appreciate the Yoruba women and youths for the historical significance and the relationship you have maintained, having lived here for decades. You are an integral part of us,” Erom said.
The Commissioner said the event also provided a platform to sensitize the people on the infrastructural strides of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Bassey Otu, stressing that continuity is vital for sustainability.
On his part, the Special Adviser on Support Group Matters, Pastor Joseph Bassey, praised the Oodua women and youths for expressing their culture in such a peaceful and symbolic manner, describing them as a vital support base.
The walk, accompanied with drums, cultural attires and chants, drew participants from the six Local Government Areas of the Southern Senatorial District.
Organisers said that the event reinforced a central narrative of the Otu administration: that the state’s strength lies in its diversity, where every ethnic group, regardless of origin, is recognized as a stakeholder.
