Eleven aggrieved members of the Cross River State House of Assembly have expressed reservations about supporting Governor Bassey Otu and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the forthcoming elections following their exclusion from the party’s ticket arrangements.

The lawmakers, however, reaffirmed their support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in office.

They stated their position on Saturday after returning from Abuja, where they visited the national office of the Relax Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria movement and met with its National Director of Strategic Deployment and Implementation, Hon. Innocent Egede.

Led by the House Majority Leader, Francis Asuquo, the lawmakers expressed displeasure over their exclusion from the APC’s re-election arrangements, arguing that they should have been given the opportunity to seek fresh mandates.

While some were seeking a third term, others were pursuing second-term tickets.

They reportedly questioned why they should be denied re-election tickets while Governor Otu was seeking a second term in office.

Hon. Egede, who advocates the re-election of President Tinubu and Governor Otu, appealed to the lawmakers to reconsider their position and support all APC candidates in the state.

He warned that internal divisions could weaken the party’s electoral prospects and affect President Tinubu’s performance in Cross River State.

Hon. Egede said the movement was targeting 600,000 votes for President Tinubu in the state, stressing the need for party unity and coordinated grassroots mobilisation.

He subsequently led the delegation to meet the movement’s Director-General, Hon. Bala Ahmed, who also urged the lawmakers to resolve their differences and align with the APC’s electoral objectives.

Hon. Ahmed pledged to integrate the lawmakers into the movement’s national operational structure, subject to approval by Barr. Seyi Tinubu, its chief founder.

The other lawmakers in the delegation were Deputy Leader, Hon. Davies Etta (Abi); Hon. Egbe Abeng Egbe (Obubra II); Hon. Ovat Dickson Agbor (Obubra I); Hon. Ashakia Puis Ashaks (Obanliku); Hon. Victor Nsa (Calabar South II); Hon. Bassey Effiong Bassey (Akpabuyo); Hon. Eyo Bassey (Bakassi); Hon. Okon Nyong Ewona (Akamkpa I); Hon. Mercy Akpama (Yakurr II); and Hon. Kingsley Ntui (Etung).