Cross River Govt Denies Link to Kwankwaso’s Visit, Describes Political Insinuations as Misleading, Mischievous Says visit was strictly investment-related

By David Odama

The Cross River State Government on Wednesday clarified that the visit of former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to Calabar on September 9, 2025, was strictly for investment purposes and had no political undertones.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Linus Obogo, the government dismissed insinuations that Kwankwaso’s presence in the state was politically motivated.

“It has become necessary to address, in the strongest and clearest terms, the needless hysteria, idle conjectures, and mischievous insinuations trailing the recent visit of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to Cross River State. That visit was nothing more than an investment reconnaissance,” the statement read.

The government described Kwankwaso’s mission as a straightforward exploration of the state’s vast agricultural and natural endowments, stressing that attempts to link it with politics were both irresponsible and insulting to the intelligence of Cross Riverians.

“The notion that Governor Bassey Edet Otu, a man whose political convictions are clear and whose loyalty to his mandate is beyond reproach, is ‘romancing’ the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on account of this harmless visit is as laughable as it is idiotic,” Obogo said.

The statement further noted that Governor Otu was away in Algiers at the time, leading the state’s delegation to the 5th Afreximbank Sub-Sovereign Business Forum in pursuit of investment opportunities, while Deputy Governor Rt. Hon. Peter Odey received Kwankwaso as a matter of courtesy.

“These courtesies are not about political affiliations but about respect, hospitality, and the pursuit of development. Cross River State under Governor Otu remains open to all investors, irrespective of political or geographical background,” it emphasized.

Dismissing what it described as the handiwork of mischief-makers, the government said those spreading political conspiracy theories were simply merchants of confusion.

“We deprecate in the strongest terms this brazen mischief—an attempt to sow discord, distract from the ‘People First’ vision of the administration, and cast shadows where only light shines. Governor Otu’s focus remains unwavering: to build a prosperous Cross River State, not to indulge in the empty chatter of political jesters,” the statement concluded.