Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The Evidence Group, a youth-led political support organisation affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State, has renewed its campaign for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Bassey Otu in the 2027 general elections, urging young people and other residents to participate actively in the electoral process.
The group made the appeal on Monday, October 26, 2026, during the grand finale of its statewide local government tour in Calabar South, where its leaders called for increased grassroots mobilisation ahead of the next general elections.
According to reports by Vanguard and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the organisation said it intended to strengthen its presence across communities and encourage residents to support APC candidates at the federal and state levels.
The mobilisation drive comes as political groups across Nigeria begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections, with parties and affiliated organisations seeking to build support among voters through community engagement, political advocacy and public campaigns.
For the Evidence Group, the immediate objective is to consolidate support for Tinubu and Otu while encouraging young people to take a more active role in determining the political direction of Cross River State and the country.
However, the group’s endorsement represents the position of a partisan political organisation and should not be interpreted as evidence that all youths or residents of Cross River State support the two leaders. The wider electoral outcome will depend on voters’ choices and the political developments leading up to the elections.
Evidence Group Intensifies Grassroots Mobilisation
Speaking at the Calabar South event, the group’s Director-General, Edem Bassey, called on young people to take responsibility for shaping the state’s political future through participation in elections and grassroots mobilisation.
According to Vanguard, Bassey urged youths to vote and encourage others to support candidates they believe would advance their interests.
He also appealed to residents to put aside political differences and work towards the electoral success of the APC in 2027.
The group’s strategy centres on establishing and strengthening local networks capable of reaching residents at the community, ward and polling-unit levels.
Grassroots mobilisation is an important feature of Nigerian electoral politics because political parties and support organisations frequently depend on local networks to communicate their messages, encourage voter participation and connect with communities outside major urban centres.
For organisations such as the Evidence Group, sustained engagement at this level can help communicate campaign messages to voters and encourage supporters to participate in electoral activities.
Nevertheless, the effectiveness of such mobilisation cannot be determined solely by the number of meetings held, committees inaugurated or communities visited. Its electoral impact will ultimately depend on whether eligible voters choose to support the candidates being promoted.
The Evidence Group’s activities form part of a broader effort to strengthen the APC’s political presence in Cross River State ahead of the next general elections.
The organisation has previously undertaken mobilisation activities in different parts of the state, including the inauguration of local government structures and campaigns intended to promote the policies and projects of the Tinubu and Otu administrations.
Lawmaker Highlights Governance and Development
The political mobilisation also received support from Effiong Ekarika, the member representing Calabar South Constituency One in the Cross River State House of Assembly.
According to Vanguard and NAN, Ekarika urged residents to support Governor Otu’s bid for another term, citing what he described as the administration’s commitment to infrastructure development, inclusive governance and investment in human capital.
His position reflects the argument advanced by supporters of the incumbent administration that continuity in government could help sustain existing programmes and development projects.
Infrastructure, healthcare, education, employment and access to economic opportunities are among the issues that frequently shape political discussions in Nigeria.
For residents, the importance of these issues lies not only in the announcement or commencement of projects but also in whether public policies translate into measurable improvements in living conditions.
Road construction, for example, may improve transportation and access to markets, while investments in healthcare and education can strengthen the delivery of essential public services.
Similarly, employment and economic empowerment programmes may help residents develop livelihoods, although their overall impact depends on their implementation, reach and sustainability.
Claims about government performance should therefore be assessed against verifiable project records, budget information, implementation reports and outcomes experienced by communities.
While Ekarika expressed support for Otu’s administration, the available reports did not provide an independent assessment comparing the administration’s performance with established development indicators.
His remarks should consequently be understood as the position of a political supporter rather than an independent evaluation of the government’s record.
Evidence Group’s Campaign Builds on Earlier Activities
The October 26 mobilisation follows earlier activities by the Evidence Group across Cross River State.
On October 9, 2026, the organisation inaugurated its working committee in Ogoja Local Government Area as part of a campaign to establish structures across the state.
A report published by the Cross River State Government’s Ministry of Information said the group intended to extend its activities across the state’s three senatorial districts, reaching communities, tertiary institutions, wards and polling units.
During the Ogoja inauguration, the group’s leadership urged members to communicate the APC’s political message while avoiding intimidation and harassment.
The group also instructed prospective local coordinators to submit their names for vetting and approval before appointments and structures were publicly announced.
The emphasis on organised local structures suggests that the group intends to establish a coordinated mobilisation network rather than rely exclusively on large rallies and public declarations.
Its earlier activities also included a solidarity walk in Calabar on September 19, 2026, during which participants expressed support for Tinubu and Otu.
According to reports by The Guardian and the Cross River State Government, the event brought together supporters from different parts of the state.
Governor Otu, represented at the event by the Deputy Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Sylvester Agabi, commended the participants and encouraged them to take their message back to their communities.
The group has also presented its activities as an opportunity to increase youth participation in governance and political organisation.
Its leadership has argued that young people should have a greater role in political engagement and in communicating the achievements and policies of elected officials.
However, the extent of its membership, its ability to sustain participation across all local government areas and its eventual influence on voter behaviour cannot be established from the reported events alone.
Youth Participation and Nigeria’s Electoral Process
The Evidence Group’s campaign highlights the growing importance of youth participation in Nigerian politics.
Young people represent an important constituency in electoral competition, particularly because political parties and candidates need to engage voters across different age groups and communities.
Youth participation can take several forms, including voter registration, political education, community discussions, election monitoring where legally permitted, campaign volunteering and voting.
For political organisations, youth-led mobilisation can provide opportunities to communicate policy positions and develop networks among younger voters.
For young people, participation can offer a way to engage with public policy, scrutinise candidates and influence decisions affecting education, employment, security, infrastructure and economic opportunities.
However, meaningful political participation should extend beyond supporting individual politicians or parties.
It also involves understanding electoral rights, evaluating campaign promises, examining candidates’ records and making informed decisions at the ballot box.
Young people should be able to participate freely, without intimidation, coercion or discrimination based on their political preferences.
The Evidence Group has previously warned its members against intimidating residents during mobilisation activities. Such a position is important because political engagement is most constructive when supporters can persuade voters without restricting their freedom to disagree.
Nigeria’s democratic process depends on the ability of citizens to consider competing political arguments and make independent choices.
The existence of a youth-led political organisation does not mean that all young people in the state share its position. Cross River’s youth population, like other voter groups, includes individuals with different political preferences, economic priorities and expectations of government.
The coming electoral period will therefore provide a clearer indication of how different candidates and parties connect with voters across the state.
Tinubu and Otu Face the 2027 Electoral Test
The Evidence Group’s campaign comes ahead of the next general elections, when Tinubu is expected to seek another presidential mandate and Otu faces the electoral contest for the Cross River governorship.
Their supporters are seeking to maintain political momentum by highlighting government programmes, encouraging grassroots participation and organising activities designed to build support.
However, electoral endorsements and mobilisation campaigns are only part of the wider political process.
Candidates must also contend with public scrutiny, competing political parties, economic conditions and voters’ assessments of their performance.
At the national level, issues such as the cost of living, employment, security, infrastructure, public revenue and economic reforms are likely to remain important considerations for voters.
In Cross River State, residents will also assess issues affecting their communities, including roads, healthcare, education, agriculture, employment and the delivery of public services.
The priorities of individual communities may differ depending on their economic activities, location and access to infrastructure.
A campaign that seeks broad support must therefore address the concerns of different groups rather than assume that one message will appeal equally to every voter.
The Evidence Group has argued that the performance of the Tinubu and Otu administrations justifies continued support for the APC. That argument will be considered alongside alternative positions presented by other political organisations and the experiences of individual voters.
The group’s campaign does not establish the likely outcome of the 2027 elections, and no electoral result can be reliably inferred from its activities alone.
What Happens Next?
The Evidence Group is expected to continue its political mobilisation as the 2027 elections approach, building on its local government tour and efforts to strengthen its presence across Cross River State.
Its previous announcements have outlined plans to establish grassroots structures and extend activities across the state’s three senatorial districts.
The organisation has also indicated that its mobilisation strategy includes engagement with youths, women and other community groups.
The extent to which these plans will translate into sustained participation and electoral support remains to be seen.
For voters, the coming months will provide further opportunities to assess the positions of political parties, examine candidates’ records and compare their proposals for addressing Nigeria’s and Cross River State’s challenges.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remains the statutory body responsible for organising federal and state elections in Nigeria. Political support groups can encourage participation and promote candidates, but they do not determine the outcome of elections.
Ultimately, voters will decide whether Tinubu, Otu and other candidates receive the mandates they seek.
The Evidence Group’s latest mobilisation demonstrates that political organisation ahead of 2027 is already taking shape in Cross River State. Its campaign will now face the practical challenge of converting political endorsements and community outreach into support at the ballot box.
For Weng Global, the central development is the group’s continued effort to consolidate APC support in Cross River, while the broader democratic question remains whether political campaigns can persuade voters through credible records, clear policies and peaceful engagement.
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Sources
- Vanguard — Reporting on the Evidence Group’s statewide mobilisation and Calabar South event, October 26, 2026.
- News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) — Reporting on the group’s appeal for support for Tinubu and Otu ahead of the 2027 elections.
- Cross River State Government, Ministry of Information — Report on the Evidence Group’s mobilisation activities and inauguration of its Ogoja working committee, October 9, 2026.
- The Guardian — Reporting on the Evidence Group’s solidarity walk in Calabar, September 19, 2026.
