Globetrotting govs of the South South

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa; Tony John, Port Harcourt; Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar

The South South remains Nigeria’s most resource rich geopolitical zone. Its oil producing states of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Edo have long funded the federation through allocations that dwarf those of most other regions. That wealth has also financed a distinctive style of leadership. Governors shuttle between Abuja, foreign capitals and investment summits, often justifying the journeys as essential for attracting capital, highlighting environmental damage or securing federal attention.

Critics counter that prolonged absences weaken supervision of projects, leave governance to deputies or aides, and produce more memoranda of understanding than completed infrastructure. The pattern continues across the zone.

Cross River: The Absentee Governor

Prince Bassey Otu has acquired the nickname Absentee Governor among ordinary Cross Riverians. Street talk and quiet government conversation hold that he runs the state largely from outside Calabar. Officials often cannot say when he will next be in the capital or where he is when absent.

The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate Arthur Jarvis has alleged that Otu spends no more than ten days a month in the state. Available records, he claims, show the rest of each month spent in Abuja or abroad with little tangible return. Contracts go unsupervised, projects suffer fraudulent evaluation or abandonment, and rural electrification, feeder roads and community health centres deteriorate.

Jarvis contrasts this with visible infrastructure gains in neighbouring states and notes that federal allocations to Cross River have quadrupled without a single signature project after nearly four years. He has made the governor’s frequent travels a campaign issue, promising constant availability.

The Special Adviser and Chief Press Secretary Linus Obogo rejects the charge. He points to a public private partnership package valued at $1.075 billion plus N70 billion and an African Development Bank facility of $3.5 billion for the Bakassi Deep Seaport. These, he says, result from active engagement rather than sedentary office work.

Commissioner for Information Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham adds that Nigeria’s pseudo federal system requires governors to engage the centre. Governance in the twenty first century, he argues, should be judged by performance indices, not physical presence. Critics, he says, misunderstand the dynamics of power and the progress made since 2023, including efforts to enlist Cross River among oil producing states.

Rivers: The Closet Governor

One persistent question in Port Harcourt is where exactly Governor Siminalayi Fubara operates from, a private residence or Government House. Like his predecessor Nyesom Wike, who often worked from Ada George Road, Fubara has followed a similar pattern, shaped in part by the political crisis that engulfed his administration.

The only extended period of invisibility came during the six month emergency rule that suspended him. After reinstatement in October 2025 he resumed public functions and project supervision. He appeared in Ikwerre Local Government Area for the inauguration of the Omademe road, announcing the discovery of fake workers on the state payroll and ordering implementation of a verification report to enforce fiscal discipline. He stressed that the exercise was objective, not political.

Between 17 and 28 August 2026 he undertook a ten day project commissioning tour across the state. He attended the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Port Harcourt and on 3 September signed the 2026 Appropriation Bill into law at Government House, describing it as a breath of fresh air and the start of a new chapter of unity. He thanked the House of Assembly and acknowledged the role of the Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike in facilitating the process.

His recorded appearances indicate that he functions within Rivers State even if not always from the official residence.

Bayelsa

Bayelsa: Lord of the Skies

Senator Douye Diri is frequently airborne, seeking foreign investors and drawing attention to the environmental degradation suffered by coastal communities. Early in his first term travel was constrained by COVID-19 restrictions and the need to consolidate power. In November 2021 a prolonged absence prompted his late deputy Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo to defend the trip as necessary for attracting investment.

Subsequent journeys included the Dubai World Expo in March 2022, trade and cultural events in New York and New Jersey in June 2022, and more frequent Abuja visits in 2023 linked to Peoples Democratic Party politics. From 2024 onwards the pace intensified.

Investigations recorded 16 foreign trips. Destinations included Houston for the Ijaw National Congress, Nassau for the AFREXIM Bank meeting, Seoul and London in August 2024, New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Doha for a security forum, Angola for agriculture partnerships, Bangkok for a United Nations summit on coastal communities, Nice for the Ocean Rise summit, Luanda again for bilateral agreements, Shanghai for a mega delta conference, Toronto for education and trade talks, and The Gambia in June 2026.

Local critics, including the state Peoples Democratic Party chairman George Turnah, argue that the numerous memoranda of understanding have not translated into measurable industrial growth or jobs. The Prosperity Agenda, they say, has become one of hunger and poverty for many Bayelsans.

Observers note that despite repeated presentations of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission report in London, the United States and Abuja, little concrete federal or international action has followed.

Edo: Limited traveller under fire

Monday Okpebholo assumed office in November 2024 after an off cycle election. His administration has faced repeated accusations of absenteeism and costly foreign trips. The Peoples Democratic Party and the Coalition of Registered Political Parties have criticised visits to the United Kingdom and earlier engagements in Glasgow, Scotland. They allege large delegations, unclear costs and limited results, describing a claimed $250 million investment framework as an audio deal that has yet to materialise on the ground.

One report placed Edo among states that spent heavily on international travel in early 2025 without corresponding foreign direct investment.

The governor’s spokesmen counter that many participants on recent trips were self sponsored and that the journeys target diaspora engagement, remittances and genuine investment in agriculture, mining, skills training and renewable energy. Okpebholo himself has publicly stated that he has travelled outside Nigeria only once since taking office and that remaining at home is preferable to the expense and difficulty of foreign travel.

He has focused public appearances on security, infrastructure such as flyovers and road reconstructions, and the establishment of a new army division. Opposition claims that both he and his deputy abandoned the state have been firmly denied, with officials insisting the deputy remains on duty in Benin City.

Delta: Journeys defended

Sheriff Oborevwori has undertaken working trips to Brazil and Germany that his administration presents as essential for food security, agricultural mechanisation, ranching and infrastructure partnerships. The Brazil visit sought large scale farming models and free trade zone opportunities. The Germany journey focused on strengthening ties with Julius Berger for better project terms and cost efficiency.

Officials recall earlier China engagements that produced major flyover contracts.

Critics have labelled the trips jamborees timed for political advantage. The state government replies that they complement heavy domestic investment in rural roads and that results in investment and technology transfer will become visible over time.

Oborevwori has remained visible at home through project inspections, budget processes and security initiatives. He has also enforced stricter rules on unauthorised overseas travel by civil servants, ordering those who overstay or travel without permission to return or face dismissal.

Akwa Ibom: Aviation and selective engagements

Pastor Umo Eno has combined domestic project delivery with selective foreign engagements. He accompanied President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on a United Kingdom state visit to discuss power sector investment and the Ibom Deep Seaport. He has also been linked to aircraft acquisition processes that took state representatives to facilities in Canada.

Plans to expand Ibom Air’s fleet and to operationalise the Victor Attah International Airport for commercial international flights have been central to his public narrative.

Controversy arose over the size of any delegation to the Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria convention in the United States. Critics alleged a large publicly funded contingent. The government denied the claim, stating that the governor would not attend in person and that only a lean five member team would represent the state, in line with fiscal discipline.

Eno has emphasised hosting future conventions in Uyo to boost the local economy. His schedule shows frequent site inspections, delivery meetings moved from boardrooms to project locations, and attention to tourism, housing and security trust funds. While revenue inflows have been substantial, questions persist about the pace of certain housing projects and full transparency on expenditure.

Across the South South the pattern is consistent. Governors argue that engagement beyond state boundaries is unavoidable in a federation where resources, policy and investment flows are centralised, and that modern governance cannot be measured solely by days spent in the capital.

Opponents reply that the volume of travel, the size of delegations and the gap between signed agreements and completed projects suggest a preference for the jet set over the hard grind of supervision. Federal allocations remain high, yet visible transformation varies sharply from state to state. The debate over presence versus performance shows no sign of resolution as the region’s leaders continue their circuits between home and the wider world.