2027: PDP governorship candidate alleges fresh clampdown by Otu administration

The governorship candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State, Arthur Jarvis, has alleged that the administration of Governor Bassey Otu is planning a fresh clampdown on him and his privately owned university.

Jarvis claimed the government had already targeted his running mate, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, by marking his residence within the Water Board area of Calabar for demolition, warning that he could be the next target.

“They are coming after me. When they finish with Eba, I’m next,” he told journalists in Calabar, linking an ongoing tax audit of his university to the controversy surrounding the proposed demolition exercise.

The PDP flagbearer accused the state government of deploying tax authorities to intimidate him because of his opposition politics.

“The taxes of our university are up to date,” he said, insisting the institution had fully complied with its tax obligations and describing the audit as “funny” and “insulting.”

According to him, unlike some states that provide grants and infrastructure support to private universities, his institution has received neither financial assistance nor improvements to its access roads.

He also alleged that repeated requests for a courtesy visit to Governor Otu by the University management since the administration came into office had gone unanswered.

The opposition candidate further alleged that the planned demolition of his running mate’s property formed part of what he described as an attempt to weaken the opposition, warning the government against escalating political tensions.

However, the Cross River State Government has denied any political motive behind the demolition notices, or attempt to muzzle Jarvis.

The government said the demolition exercise is part of efforts to rehabilitate the state’s water infrastructure under a World Bank-backed project and affects 39 structures built on major underground water pipelines, not Eba’s property alone.

Special Adviser to the Governor on General Duties, Ekpenyong Akiba, and Commissioner for Information Erasmus Ekpang maintained that the exercise was driven by public interest, stressing that properties belonging to other prominent individuals and government facilities were also affected.