Otu Bassey Edet

Bassey Edet Otu (born 18 October 1959), popularly known as Sweet Prince, is a Nigerian politician and the current governor of Cross River State, Southern Nigeria.

He served as a Senator for Cross River South from 2011 to 2015 and a Representative of Calabar Municipal/Odukpani constituency of Cross River State in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011.

Prince Bassey Edet Otu was born on 18 October 1959 to the family of Late Eld. & Mrs. Edet Okon Otu of Adiabo in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State. He grew up in his home city of Calabar and in Jos, Plateau State, where his father had been assigned to the mission of the Church of Scotland.

He obtained a bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Calabar.

Before entering politics, he was engaged in banking and the petroleum sector. He is also involved in farming.

Otu was elected a Member of the House of Representatives in April 2003 to represent Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency and re-elected in April 2007. During this period (2003–2011), he was Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Vice Chairman, House Committee on National Population, and a member of committees on Power, Ministry of Niger Delta, Inter-Parliamentary Relations, Inter-Intra Party Relations, Environment, Water Resources, and Defense.

In a 2007 interview, he stated that the ruling by an international court that the Bakassi peninsula belonged to Cameroon was incorrect, but emphasized the need to resettle displaced relatives of Nigerians and move forward.

Otu was Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream). In 2011, he was elected as Senator representing Cross River Southern Senatorial District. Upon arrival in the Senate, he became Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance and later Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking and other Financial Institutions; he was also a member of the Committee on Navy, Power, Petroleum, and Water Resources.

It is believed that he had a significant impact on the citizens of Cross River.

In 2018, Otu was appointed to the board of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Following his inaugural speech in May 2023, Otu claims he joined politics for the service of humanity.