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Oil Wells Dispute: How Far Can Gov. Otu Go?

March 15, 2026
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2023 Elections: Governors, Candidates Who Won, Lost At Supreme Court

By ETIM ETIM

Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River State has been spending a lot of time in Abuja, fighting hard to seize some oil wells from Akwa Ibom State.

Since 2012 when the Supreme Court, for the second time, pronounced Cross River as non-oil producing, Cross River has been coping with marginal monthly allocation from FAAC, while the other oil-bearing states in the Niger Delta swim in petrodollars.

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With improved funding to the states since 2024, Cross River’s monthly allocation has doubled to about N6 billion, but Gov. Otu is not contented with that. He’s been convinced by some federal officials and politicians in Abuja that the two Supreme Court judgments could be sidestepped or discarded and some wells belonging to Akwa Ibom could be handed over to Cross River.

They persuaded the governor that there is ‘’new evidence’’ in the form of new coordinates that could allocate additional offshore oil wells, outside the initial 76, to his state.

READ ALSO : Politics, Propaganda, The Fight Over The 76 Oil Wells

Gov. Otu is expectedly excited about the prospect of earning higher revenues and is spending billions in Abuja to facilitate the realization of this big dream. But how much more will he spend? Unknown to the governor, these people are well practiced in the art of obtaining money by deception. They lie in the name of the President or First Lady, claiming that ‘’we have the President’s ears; he will do it’’.

Their stock-in-trade is to dupe governors and desperate politicians seeking political positions or any favour from the presidency. During elections, they promise to arrange for result sheets from INEC or security from the Inspector General of Police or military authorities for some candidates to help secure victory at the polls provided the candidates can pay. But they have no such power.

‘’We have already spoken to the GOC; Brigade commanders and the AIG on your behalf. You’re the next governor, Your Excellency’’, they would tell the gullible contestant. So many politicians have fallen victim to these scammers in Abuja.

It would appear that Gov. Otu is their latest victim. He has allowed himself to be convinced that the President, on the recommendation of the Boundary Commission and RMAFC, will overrule the Supreme Court. Billions have left the state’s treasury in the name of ‘goodwill expenses’. The beneficiaries include officials of RMAFC, National Boundary Commission, Presidency and some media executives.

Even senior officials of the state were also paid for their ‘significant supports to the state government’. Beyond that, the government has also engaged some ‘PR persons’ to appear on talk shows and interviews and repeat the government’s talking points that with ‘’new coordinates’’, an interagency committee constituted by RMAF has recommended that Cross River is the owner some new oil wells.

Prominent Cross Riverians are also being compelled to speak out in favour of their government. A senator from the state who in February issued a statement supporting his governor’s efforts confided to me: ‘’I can’t see the logic in what my state government is doing.

This matter has long been settled by the Supreme Court, but I have to play along so that I’m not called a black sheep of the state or mocked as ‘Akwa Ibom Senator’ as they usually do’’. It doesn’t matter to the government that all these are futile efforts because the matter has long been settled by the Supreme Court, and the President has no power to tinker with it.

For them, what money cannot do, more money can do. Otu is also mindful of his reelection. He has brilliantly framed the oil well issue as an important topic for election propaganda next year.

Akwa Ibom State, on the other hand, is banking on the finality of the two Supreme Court judgments. It was Justice Chwukwudifu Oputa who captured captured the inviolability of the apex court decisions so well in the case of Adegoke Motors v Adesanya (1983): ‘’we are not final because we are infallible, but we are infallible only because we are final’’.

The quote highlights the Supreme Court’s position as the highest court in Nigeria, emphasizing that its decisions are binding and final as enshrined in Section 235 of the Constitution, even if such decisions might be subject to criticisms or potential errors.

Justice Robert Jackson of the US Supreme Court had also made the same statement in 1952 while delivering a judgment.

It is therefore preposterous for some persons, acting at the behest of Cross River State, to call for President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the oil-wells matter which had long been settled by the Supreme Court.

The President himself dismissed such a possibility last Wednesday in his comments during the breaking of fast (Iftar) with NWC members of his party and the leadership of Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the Statehouse. Tinubu described himself as a ‘’die-hard’’ democrat and assured that he would lead by the Constitution and that the rule of law will prevail under his watch, emphasizing that his administration is committed to the nation’s democratic longevity.

The President said: ‘’some of us have been bruised struggling for democracy. We were detained, we protested, we had street demonstrations, we went into exile and all that…’’. The President then assured his guests that since the unity and progress of the nation depend on good governance and democracy ideals, he would abide by such ideals all his life.

No ‘die-hard’ democrat would dare trifle with a matter that had been settled by the Supreme Court over a decade ago. It can’t happen.

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Amanze Chinonye is a Staff Correspondent at Prime Business Africa, a rising star in the literary world, weaving captivating stories that transport readers to the vibrant landscapes of Nigeria and the rest of Africa. With a unique voice that blends with the newspaper's tradition and style, Chinonye's writing is a masterful exploration of the human condition, delving into themes of identity, culture, and social justice. Through her words, Chinonye paints vivid portraits of everyday African life, from the bustling markets of Nigeria's Lagos to the quiet villages of South Africa's countryside . With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the complexities of Nigerian society, Chinonye's writing is both a testament to the country's rich cultural heritage and a powerful call to action for a brighter future. As a writer, Chinonye is a true storyteller, using her dexterity to educate, inspire, and uplift readers around the world.

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