Cross River, with its capital at Calabar, is known for tourism projects such as the Obudu Mountain Resort and the Calabar Carnival, and for long periods of one-party rule. The PDP governed from 1999 to 2021, usually winning by enormous margins, until Governor Ben Ayade took the state into the APC. Its governors have come from different senatorial districts in turn, an informal rotation that shapes every race.
1999 and 2003: Donald Duke
Donald Duke, a lawyer and former commissioner, won the January 1999 election for the PDP with 529,335 votes. In April 2003 he was re-elected with 1,193,290 votes, beating his own former deputy, John Okpa, who ran for the ANPP after falling out with him. Duke’s eight years are remembered for the Tinapa business resort, the Obudu ranch upgrade and the Calabar Carnival. He later sought the presidency on the SDP ticket in 2019.
2007 to 2012: Imoke, a rerun and a second vote
Duke’s successor, Liyel Imoke, a lawyer and former minister of power, won in April 2007 with 836,207 votes against 14,067 for Eyo Etim Nyong of the Democratic People’s Party. The tribunal annulled the result, and Imoke won the rerun on 23 August 2008 with 650,723 votes against 15,734 for the ANPP’s Paul Ukpo.
Because of the rerun, Imoke’s case came under the Supreme Court’s January 2012 ruling on governors’ tenure, and Cross River voted again on 25 February 2012. Imoke won with 451,544 votes; the ACN’s Usani Uguru Usani, who called the election not credible, polled 31,026.
2015 and 2019: Ayade
Imoke backed Benedict Ayade, a senator and professor of environmental science, who won the April 2015 election with 342,016 votes against 53,983 for the APC’s Odey Ochicha. Joe Agi, who came second in the PDP primary, challenged Ayade’s nomination in court; the Supreme Court dismissed the case in December 2016. In March 2019 he was re-elected with 381,484 votes (73%), winning all 18 local governments, against 131,161 for the APC’s John Owan Enoh.
In May 2021 Ayade left the PDP for the APC, taking most of the state’s political structure with him.
2023: Bassey Otu
The APC’s candidate, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, won on 18 March 2023 with 258,619 votes (57.2%) against 179,636 for the PDP’s Senator Sandy Ojang Onor. The Supreme Court affirmed Otu’s election in January 2024.
The results at a glance
| Year | Winner (party) | Votes | Runner-up (party) | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Donald Duke (PDP) | 529,335 | APP candidate | not published |
| 2003 | Donald Duke (PDP) | 1,193,290 | John Okpa (ANPP) | not published |
| 2007 | Liyel Imoke (PDP), annulled | 836,207 | Eyo Etim Nyong (DPP) | 14,067 |
| 2008 rerun | Liyel Imoke (PDP) | 650,723 | Paul Ukpo (ANPP) | 15,734 |
| 2012 | Liyel Imoke (PDP) | 451,544 | Usani Uguru Usani (ACN) | 31,026 |
| 2015 | Ben Ayade (PDP) | 342,016 | Odey Ochicha (APC) | 53,983 |
| 2019 | Ben Ayade (PDP) | 381,484 | John Owan Enoh (APC) | 131,161 |
| 2023 | Bassey Otu (APC) | 258,619 | Sandy Ojang Onor (PDP) | 179,636 |
2027: Otu seeks a second term
Otu is the APC candidate for the 6 February 2027 election. INEC’s final list names Arthur Javis Archibong for the PDP and Obu Ogar Osim for the Labour Party; the ADC has no candidate in the state.
