OPINION
By Pius Effiong
As we approach the threshold of the 2023 general elections, there have been a lot of scheming, plotting, and power play at different levels of the politics and across political parties.
A lot has been said beginning with the idea of eradicating the rotational politics of Cross River State, to the scheming out of the South from the politics at the center.
What every true lover of the South and indeed Cross River State should know is this, there’s a grave plot to not only undermine by completely scheme out and relegate the South especially the Efiks to the background. And its very unfortunate that this plot is being executed with the connivance of some supposedly major power players and key political office holders and stakeholders in the South.
What played out in the gubernatorial primary elections of the People’s Democratic Party should be an eye opener and a clear indication to the south that all is not well and it is high time they called themselves together and put their house in order.They should get it clear that the race was not all about Gershom Bassey,but about the corporate political interest and survival of the southern senatorial district, now and in the future.
The clouds have gathered and it is about to rain and this rain shall fall on every roof, both the high and lowly, the weak and the strong.
I pity those Southerners who are busy celebrating the emergence of Sandy Onor as PDP’s flag bearer. In case you don’t know, 8 years from know power will shift to the North and Senator Jarigbe Agom is seriously strategically positioning himself to grab it.
The South Killed the “Back to South” Agenda for personal aggrandisement
The first betrayal on the list is the former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke who on several occasions was very vocal in his none believe and support to the “Back to South”. He never showed up at any of the meetings or gatherings where the southern agenda was discussed. Rather he was seen in a video endorsing the aspiration of Sandy Onor who is being funded by the Rivers State warlord, Nyesom Wike.
Another betrayal of the ” Southern Agenda are the Trio of Apostle Essien Ayi, Rt. Hon. Etta Mbora and Ntufam Ekpo Okon. These three won their primary elections and refused to turn their delegates to the south. Now let me explain further.
After the PDP national Assembly primary elections, it was very clear that Geshom Bassey will secure majority votes from the Central courtesy of Liyel Imoke, while Sandy secured votes from the North courtesy of Jarigbe while Dansuki will secure the Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency and pick some votes across the other senatorial
districts. At this point the remaining 5 local government areas in the south controlled by Ekpo Okon, Etta Mbora and Essien Ayi will decide who wins the party’s ticket. Where Ekpo Okon controls Odukpani, Etta controls Calabar Municipality and Ayi controls part of Calabar South, Akpabuyo and Bakassi. So with these they could decide to turn these over 150 votes to any of the southern aspirants between Geshom and Dansuki and victory would have been secured from the south.
But this they did not do because all of them were alleged to be working for Sandy under the Ejagham/kiong agenda with the Efik being targeted.
A simple analysis shows that Sandy got majority of his wining votes from the South. Where Jarigbe gave him, Ogoja, and a part of Yala, he secured Etung/ Obubra and picked little drops from Abi/Yakurr, Ikom/Boki in all he must have gotten a little above 130 votes so he needed about 100 votes out of the over 150 votes controlled by Ekpo, Etta and Essien to make up his over 230 votes he used in winning.
But what is very clear from the result of the primaries is an unequivocal statement that the delegates through their 175 votes for Gershom and 147 votes for Dansuki, as well as Donald Duke’s consensus candidate’s 6 miserable votes, desired power shift to the south.
The South lost out because their votes were split by themselves and may completely loss out if nothing is done fast.
There is need to have a grand alliance across party lines, especially with the recent happenings in the APC.
This is no time for 5 Alive or Quas, Efiks, Efut nor Ejagam. It’s a fight for the collective redemption emancipation of our future as a people under God.
Let’s observe the cloud and mend our roofs lest we all get soaked right inside our homes.
Pius Effiong, a Political Analyst, writes from Calabar
