The Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party’s claim that it will reclaim power in the state during the 2027 general elections, describing it as an “empty boast and political comedy.”

The rivalry between the APC and PDP in Cross River reflects a broader national struggle between Nigeria’s two dominant political parties.

The PDP governed Cross River uninterrupted from 1999 until 2015, when cracks began to appear, culminating in the defection of former Governor Ben Ayade to the APC in 2021.

That move significantly shifted the political balance in favour of the ruling party, enabling the APC to consolidate power during the 2023 elections.

In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Inyang, on Thursday, the ruling party said the PDP had lost its political relevance in the state and lacked the strength to challenge Governor Bassey Otu in the next polls.

“Ordinarily, we would not waste time responding to their blithering, but we must remind Cross Riverians that even when the PDP was stronger, the APC defeated it convincingly at the polls.

“Today, the PDP is nothing but a shadow of itself, with its members trooping in droves to the APC. Their ambition in 2027 is dead on arrival,” the statement read.

The APC described the PDP’s recent meeting in Calabar, led by its state chairman, Venatius Ikem, as “hollow” and an attempt to create a false impression that the party still had hope of returning to power.

Reassuring its supporters, the APC declared that Governor Otu’s re-election bid in 2027 was “as certain as daybreak and nightfall,” urging residents to remain steadfast with the “People First” administration.

The party maintained that “no amount of wishful thinking or press conferences by PDP leaders can alter the political reality,” stressing that Cross Riverians had chosen progress with the APC.