Tag: Arthur Jarvis

By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar

About 1,000 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The defection occurred on Wednesday when the PDP governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, visited the area as part of his consultation with stakeholders and residents ahead of the 2027 election.

A large crowd gathered in Akpabuyo to receive Archibong and members of his consultation team during the visit.

Receiving the defectors, Archibong described the development as the largest number of people to join the PDP since the commencement of his consultation tour.

He said the decision by the defectors demonstrated that the people had made their choice, adding that their confidence in the party would not be taken for granted.

The PDP candidate also used the occasion to consult with his kinsmen and other stakeholders in the local government as part of his ongoing engagement ahead of the election.

By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar

The governorship candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party in Cross River State, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong has vowed that he will only do one term of four years if elected next year to replace Governor Bassey Otu of the APC.

He made this vow at the NUJ press Centre Calabar when he stopped by on Thursday to make observations about the alleged poor governance of the APC government.

He said he wants to respect the unwritten zoning agreement, so that the central senatorial district can have its turn in 2031.

“It’s my covenant with Cross Riverians, “When elected, I will serve for only four years, which is the remainder of the tenure agreeable to Cross River South in this dispensation. This is a covenant I am making with Cross Riverians and God. I will not depart from it.

“I am a true and devoted Christian, I am a knight and soldier of Christ and upon my oath, I declare that for these four (4) years and four years alone will I spend in government house, if elected.

“During these four years, I will create wealth to sustain our people”.

He accused Governor Otu of being an absentee governor where he often spends 20 days out of the state, either out of Nigeria or in Abuja.

He also accused Otu of limiting governance to Calabar as if the city was the beginning and end of Cross River State.

“I would not be an absentee Governor. I will be constantly available to the people and only travel outside of the state very rarely and only to attend to obviously critical affairs that usher verifiable development to the state.

“I will not be ‘Calabar Limited’. I have the broad mindedness, vision, agility, love as well as the physical and mental capacity to constantly traverse the different zones of our dear state in the search for and implementation of real development for our people. I will visit our people in their wards and clans to listen to and solve their problems.”

According to him, Otu’s administration is near zero on issue of empathy and commitment to the yearning of the people, adding that he has not spent time in the state to guide his government.

“I will create time to physically inspect projects and ensure that they are done in tandem with standardized specifications and completed on time. The entire state, as it should be, will be my gubernatorial constituency.”

By BANNERNEWS Reporter
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, has accused the administration of Governor Bassey Otu of using tax authorities to target his privately owned university, alleging that the move is part of a wider campaign against the opposition.
Archibong, founder of Arthur Jarvis University, made the allegation amid reports that state tax officials had commenced an audit of the institution over its Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax records.
“It is so insulting. A state government that has not given the university even a pin is now gathering directors to scrutinise what taxes we have not paid,” he told journalists in Calabar.
The PDP flagbearer linked the development to the recent marking for demolition of the Water Board Estate residence of his running mate, Barrister Alphonsus Ogar Eba, claiming both actions were politically motivated.
“I’m next when they finish with Eba,” Archibong said, alleging that the tax audit was connected to the controversy surrounding the proposed demolition exercise. He warned the government against escalating what he described as a clampdown on the opposition.
Archibong maintained that Arthur Jarvis University had fully complied with its tax obligations, insisting there was no basis for the audit.
“Our taxes are up to date,” he said, describing the exercise as “funny” and “insulting.”
He also lamented that despite employing more than 500 workers and awarding scholarships to over 300 Cross River students, the university had received no support from the state government.
“Private universities in other states receive grants running into hundreds of millions of naira, while governments also provide infrastructure such as access roads. Here, not even a pin. Since Governor Otu assumed office, every request by the university management for a courtesy visit has gone unanswered,” he alleged.
However, the Cross River State Government has dismissed claims that the demolition exercise or any related action is politically motivated. Special Adviser to the Governor on General Duties, Barrister Ekpenyong Akiba, said the planned demolition is part of a World Bank-backed water rehabilitation project aimed at restoring potable water supply to Calabar and neighbouring communities.
According to Akiba, about 39 structures, including properties belonging to government officials and private individuals, were marked because they sit on major underground water pipelines that must be excavated for the project. He maintained that the exercise is not targeted at Eba or any opposition figure, adding that affected property owners would be duly notified while government considers appropriate measures, including possible compensation where applicable.
The government insisted the exercise is being carried out in the public interest and should not be construed as an attempt to victimise political opponents.