By Okoi Obono-Obla
Facebook has democratized everything, including writing. People take advantage of its anonymity and unhinged, free access to write all sorts of garbage and, with impunity, attack the character and integrity of others — especially in this election season.
In this country, some people, rather than selling the candidacy of the candidates they support and convincing us why we should vote for them, would rather use social media to abuse or insult those they do not support.
I read one such post on 28 October 2026, in which the writer descended heavily on Honourable Oden Ewa, the APC senatorial candidate for Cross River Central Senatorial District confirmed by INEC, and tried in vain to paint him black. The writer suggested that because he is close to His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, Governor of Cross River State, if elected Senator, he would do the bidding of the Governor rather than serve the district he was elected to represent.
This is balderdash, bunkum and nonsensical. It is a privilege to be close to one’s Governor. It is not a crime. It is not something negative, from whichever prism or perspective one decides to look at it. The Governor is a respected personality. He is experienced and one of our great politicians and leaders. There is a saying that if a young person washes his hands well, he will certainly dine with kings. Undoubtedly, Oden Ewa has washed his hands very well, and credit should go to Governor Otu for spotting a young leader and son in him, drawing him close to mentor him and teach him the mechanics of leadership. That is the stuff great leaders are made of. President Tinubu spotted and mentored great leaders like Babatunde Fashola, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and a host of others who worked exceptionally to transform the urban jungle of Lagos into one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa.
The irony is that those sponsoring such cheap diatribe against Oden Ewa once had the privilege of being close to successive Governors of Cross River State several decades ago but lost the opportunity to use it for the public good, as Oden Ewa has done. It is that public good that has won him the trust and confidence of an experienced and good leader such as Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, who inherited a shambles of an economy in Cross River State, mired in chronic debt, but has managed through astute and shrewd leadership to revamp it and turn it into something poised to create growth and prosperity.
CONCLUSION:
What Cross River Central needs now is not mudslinging and character assassination, but a robust debate on ideas, records and programmes that will bring development to our people. Hon. Oden Ewa’s closeness to Governor Otu should be seen for what it is: a strategic advantage that will enable him to attract more dividends of democracy to the Central Senatorial District. Let us reject politics of bitterness and embrace politics of development.
