As the 2027 election draws near, Youths from Bakassi, Akpabuyo and Calabar South Local Government Areas in Cross River State have told their House of Representatives member to forget about the distribution of rice as a way of returning to the green chamber.

The members of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and student unions from the three Local Government Areas which make up the federal constituency, led by Comrade Sebastine Edet Ekpenyong, at a press briefing in Calabar on Wednesday, complained of their inability to access their representative, Hon. Joseph Bassey.

Joseph Bassey, who was in the State House of Assembly for nearly twelve years and rose to become the Deputy Speaker, only left for the red chamber three years ago.

However, the youths claimed that since he moved to Abuja, “we have not benefitted from his representation in the last three years and we have not been able to access him.’

“We are tired of rice politics, and we are not ready to accept cups of rice in place of quality representation. We have identified Comrade Edem Dominic Bassey as the one to represent us.

He is somebody we can access. Enough of the elders fronting people for us to vote for. We want to bring a young man to represent us,” Sebastine Ekpenyong maintained.

While presenting Edem Dominic Bassey as the preferred candidate the three local government areas are willing to vote for in the next election, Ekpenyong insisted that “we have asked him to come forward to go to the House of Representatives and represent us.”

He added that youths in the federal constituency were ready to reject any rice or food stuff this time around, “and go for someone who will represent us with integrity and provide service to our constituency.”

Others who spoke during the briefing included Edem Umoh, who represented youths from Akpabuyo, Sandra Efeffiong, chairman of Bakassi NYCN and Eyo Nsa, who represented Calabar Municipality youths.