A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Cross River State, Sir Arthur Javis-Archibong, accepts Governor Bassey Otu’s challenge to hold a public debate ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Javis-Archibong says the election should be decided based on candidates’ performance and “scorecard,” and he states that he is prepared to participate in the debate. In separate reports, outlets also note that the candidate made the comments while speaking with journalists in Calabar.
While the sources agree on the acceptance and the purpose of the debate, they frame the lead-in details slightly differently. Vanguard emphasizes that the acceptance follows a challenge linked to the state Commissioner for Information, Ekpenyong Cobham, whereas The Punch presents the event primarily as the PDP candidate responding to Otu’s debate challenge. All accounts describe the move as part of the political contest leading into the 2027 election.
