Andy Essiet, Calabar
Former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, some politicians have predicted that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Bassey Otu will emerge the next governor of the state in 2023.
Ndoma-Egba and others insisted that the next governor of the state must come from the Cross River South senatorial district of the state in the interest of equity and fairness.
Speaking in Obubra at the thank you visit of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Bassey Otu at weekend, the former senate leader said “the understanding is that the governorship should go to the South” .
Ndoma-Egba who is from Central Senatorial district of the state stated that “in all fairness it is natural that we give our support to Otu who is from the south and continue in that order from South to Central and the North.
“I served the central senatorial district for 12 years as a senator and I was focused, but some people have not even finished their first term in the Senate where we sent them, they want to be governor. We in the central senatorial district believe in justice and fairness, we are not greedy people. That is why I can say that at exactly 10:05am on May 29, 2023, Prince Bassey Edet Otu will be sworn in as the Governor of Cross River state”.
He said “Otu is popular and perceived as humble. There is also the factor of his coming from the South. The understanding is that the Governorship should go South and we are in total support”.
Similarly a social critic and human rights activist, Ekpenyong Isaiah-isababa berated the activities of PDP in the state desperately wanting to take power to another Central senatorial whereas it is the turn of the South noting that “PDP Cross River State belong to a faction of the PDP led by the River State governor, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike. Have they one day asked Wike why he is angry with the PDP? With the closeness of Senator Sandy Onor to governor Wike, I am of the believe that he should have known one of the reasons why Gov. Wike is so angry with the PDP which is that it is the turn of Southern Nigeria to produce the next president, the very reason Gov. Wike has refused to forgive anyone that betrayed that gentleman party position of rotating power between the North and South even in PDP.
“That the PDP Cross River State whose Party Chairman and key stakeholders are with the Governor Wike faction of the PDP, wants equity at the National level but are here at the State level trampling on same style of equity they are looking for, is a clear sign of a very confused people dwelling in self deceit with the believe that they can drag Cross Riverians to their level” .
Isaiah-isababa who is popularly known as Commander, Infantry Pen Battallion said, “whatever it is the APC, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, the APC Gubernatorial Candidate remains a Cross River State project across party lines because he is a more competent candidate that also represents equity, Justice and fair play for the peaceful co-existence of Cross Riverians now and in the future”.
The Leader of Biase Local government legislative council
Mr. Charles Eko said, “since 1999 which former governor Donald Duke emerged as governor, Central took over with Senator Liyel Imoke as governor and now the North through the incumbent, Senator Ben Ayade is almost completing his eight years, it is of equity and fairness that the next governor must come from the South. Anything short of this is selfishness from few individuals that may lead to bad blood among the three senatorial districts of the state”.
