By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Ahead of the March 18, 2023 governorship election, leaders of thought in Cross River North and Central senatorial districts of Cross River State have given reasons they would vote for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, as next governor of Cross River State.
Speaking on the issue shortly after serious brainstorming and deliberation in Okpoma, Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State in Cross River North senatorial district, and Ikom Local Government Area in Cross River Central senatorial district of the state, the leaders of thought stated that they would pitch tent with Senator Otu, who hails from the Southern senatorial district, because the South should rightly produce the next governor for the sake of equity and fair play.
In a communique sighted by our correspondent on the issue, the Northern leaders reaffirmed their earlier agreement as contained in what they referred to as the Calabar/Ogoja Accord of 1980.
The communiqué reads in part, “The office of the governor of Cross River State shall rotate sequentially between the three constituent senatorial districts of the South, Central, and North for equity, brotherliness, justice, and accommodation.”
The leaders of thought maintained that after the turn of the incumbent Governor Ben Ayade, who hails from the North and whose tenure is almost winding up, “it is only fair, just, and equitable that the office of governor should return to the South in the 2023 general elections, and continue to move sequentially thereafter.”
The communique was signed by Etubom (Arc.) Bassey Eyo Ndem, Ntufam John Achort Okon, His Excellency (Amb.) Dr. Nya Asuquo and others for the Southern zone, as well as Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, High Chief Higgins Peters, Elder P. J. Ekunke, Hon. Signor Omang Idiege and others for the Northern zone.
In the same vein, the second stakeholders meeting in Ikom, the Central zone, agreed with the submission of the Northern leaders, stressing that the rotation principe of the governosrhip seat has helped in removing the issue of acrimony and bad blood associated power tussle.
In his remarks on behalf of Central district, former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, stated that “it is not the turn of the central or the Ejagham ethnic group to produce a governor as some people are propagating.”
Ndoma-Egba added, “We have never played ethnic politics in Cross River State, we rotate governorship position on the basis of senatorial districts and not on ethnic line.
“We have decided to support and elect Senator Bassey Otu from the Southern senatorial district, since it is the turn of the zone to produce a governor. Other political parties whose candidates are not from the South are on their own.
“A greater percentage of us seated here are of the Ejagham stock, but what we are saying is that anyone from the Central, using Ejagham sentiment to campaign has made a mistake, because we had never met to take such ethnic-related decision. It is the turn of the South.
“The rotational policy, which our fathers introduced, has stabilised the polity, brought us peace, unity and development. We will stick to it.”
In his earlier remarks, Etubom (Arch) Ndem, who led other leaders from the South to the stakeholders’ meeting said, “It began in the South with Mr Donald Duke, shifted to the Central with Senator Liyel Imoke, and now it is in the North with Governor Ayade. Fairness and accommodation demand that it begins again from the South.
“We are here to solicit your support for our son, Senator Otu, who is in the race under the APC platform. We will also support you after our turn. We believe that it is not right for anyone to truncate this lofty arrangement.”
