By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The Cross River State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN has hailed the state governor, Prof Ben Ayade, for keeping to his promise of zoning power to the South even senatorial zone, stressing that they are aligning with the governor’s decision.
The youth group also added that there is no going back as far as zoning of public office is concerned.
Chairman of the Cross River State chapter of NYCN, Comrade Dan Obo, stated this in Calabar during a Town Hall engagement with youths leaders in the Southern senatorial district of the state.
Obo stressed that the council has endorsed the candidature of the All Progressives Congress, APC, gubernatorial candidate, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, and also adopted the party because of its youth friendly disposition.
Obo said, “We are not going back on supporting a Southern candidate for governor for Cross River State and in doing so, we must win because we have 70 per cent of the votes.
“We cannot have 70 per cent of the votes and then lose elections.
“We have come here to reaffirm our commitment that we are in for this and we are not going back.
“For today, it is visible to the blind that the political party that has more going for people flying their flag for 2023 is the APC.
“As an institution, we will stand for a party that gives more young people the tickets.
“We at the NYCN will support the APC and will mobilise all our youths to stand with the APC and God willing we will win.”
The NYCN Chairman maintained that the position of governor in the state goes round the three senatorial zones of the state and for equity sake, it’s the turn of the South senatorial diatrict to produce the next governor.
He averred that the APC has one of them on it’s ballot paper as running mate and that the APC gubernatorial candidate engaged the youths on his plans for youth development in the state.
He continued, “It is the turn of Cross River South to produce the governor.
“The position of governor goes around the three senatorial districts.
“Eighty per cent of the youths are here with us, and as you know politics is a game of interest and we know we will win.
“We have one of us on that ballot, which is the deputy governorship candidate and so as young people we will do everything humanly possible to make sure that ambition sees the light of the day.
“Prince Otu consulted us and shared with us his plans for youth development in the state; his antecedents in the legislative houses is excellent and so as young people and another young man with him on the ballot, we have confidence the ticket will be of value to young people and we will support it.”
He added they are confident the youths will triumph because it is no longer time to hijack materials, send youths to kill themselves, but the BVAS will speak for itself.
The NYCN chairman accused some leaders in the state of spreading lies in the course of their campaign, maintaining that the “only solution to this desperation against equity and justice is for us to get our PVCs and then make sure that we vote to stabilize our polity and Cross River State, so that tomorrow we will not fight.”
