The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Cross River State, southern Nigeria, Arthur Archibong, has pledged to serve only one four-year term and run an accessible, grassroots-focused administration if elected governor in 2027.
Archibong, who made the pledge during a chat with journalists in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, said his decision to speak publicly followed what he described as three years of observing the current administration.
He argued that leadership must remain connected to citizens and responsive to their needs, saying, “My covenant with Cross Riverians is clear.”
Archibong further pledged, “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.”
The PDP candidate, in company of his running mate, Alphonsus Eba; the party chairman, Venatius Ikem and other top officials, promised to prioritise constant engagement with citizens across the three senatorial districts rather than governing from a distance.
“I would not be an absentee governor. I will be constantly available to the people and only travel outside the state very rarely and only to attend to obviously critical affairs that usher verifiable development to the state,” he stated.
Archibong also promised regular visits to communities, wards and clans to assess projects and address local concerns directly.
“I will visit our people in their wards and clans to listen to and solve their problems. I will create time to physically inspect projects and ensure that they are done in tandem with standardised specifications and completed on time,” he said.
Inclusive Governance
Outlining his development agenda, the PDP governorship hopeful promised inclusive governance, local government autonomy and merit-based appointments.
He said, “Every zone, all local governments and ethnicities shall be part of the developmental vision of our state.
“There will be no discrimination and no form of nepotism whatsoever. All Cross Riverians, not minding their political affiliations, will be treated equally,” the governorship candidate assured.
On local government autonomy, Archibong promised that his administration would “unshackle our local governments and allow them to enjoy their financial autonomy to facilitate proper development of our rural communities.”
Archibong said sustainable wealth creation would be the guiding principle of his proposed administration, stressing that competence rather than political patronage would drive public appointments and service delivery.
“Our mantra will be sustainable wealth creation. We shall develop a strong code of ethics that would squarely place competence over mediocrity,” Archibong promised.
Also speaking, the PDP deputy governorship candidate, Alphonsus Eba, who is known as “the political evangelist,” said the party would adopt a door-to-door approach during the campaign, expressing optimism that the party would emerge the winner of the 2027 Cross River governorship election.
