Three Days to Presidential Election: Calabar Looks Good For Obi

By Stanley Ekpenyong, (South South Bureau Chief)

Three days to the 2023 Presidential Election, residents of Calabar, the sleepy capital of Cross River state, are upbeat for the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi.

Except few political appointees of the State Government, virtually every one in Calabar is emphatic about voting Obi on Saturday.

Even among Government appointees,  those of them vociferously mouthing support for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu on social media platforms, canvass support for Obi outside Government circles.

In drinking joints, Churches and at social events, they openly profess support for the Labour Party candidate.

Commercial keke, okada, cab and bus drivers do not hide their preference too. Their modus operandi is to strike conversation with their passengers around the 2023 general election and how Nigerians have suffered in the hands of the APC in the last eight years and how the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is not a credible alternative to rescue and restore Nigeria.

And then, the clincher is always an admonition to vote Peter Obi “to save us”

A cab ride the magazine undertook Wednesday from Etta Agbor roundabout to the popular Watts market was dominated by a discussion on why Obi is a better choice.

Acting as a lone dissent voice to properly gauge the mood of the passengers almost caused this magazine an assault by an incensed passenger who could not understand why “person wey no dey crazy still dey support APC”

With a clinched fist and a raised voice, he made towards the magazine, shouting, “sufferness no dey tire you? You still wan suffer under APC”, abi? I no under why person wey no dey crazy dey still support APC because na only person wey him head no correct fit support that party”.

It took the intervention of an older passenger to restore calm.

In a similar vein, a middle aged man who came for shopping at a superstore along IBB Way by Akim was shouted down on Monday by other shoppers when he urged them to vote the APC, insisting that Tinubu will reverse the Naira redesign policy if elected into office.

However, in an apparent face- saving measure, he was later to claim he was merely joking.

A visit to various markets, drinking joints, viewing centres, eateries etc in the city tells the same story of overwhelming eagerness and resolve to vote Obi.