OPINION
Misang Misang
Running a Gubernatorial campaign is no means meat. And it is not a job for noise makers and up starters. He was the Director General (DG) of the campaign structure of Senator Gershom Bassey (SGB) that polled 175 votes to come second despite challenges.
In a contest one person must emerge but at the end all interest groups work collectively for the common interest of Cross River State, cut across people and places building bridges instead of crying wolves painting a larger than thou image. An empty vessel makes the loudest noise and brings nothing on the table The primaries have come and gone. No need one crying or shedding crocodile tears on who betrayed who and who is a super star. We are all stars but Ekpo Ada has much to put on the table in terms of electoral value.
Focus and energy now should be on the way forward for Cross River and the PDP and not campaign of treachery and blackmail of some shenanigans and arm chair critics who say Ekpo Ada is the worst DG yet same Ekpo Ada managed Senator Gershom Bassey’s campaign and saw him through to the senate twice. Same Ekpo Ada withered the storm and polled votes for his principal to emerge second best in the recent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries. According to the Bible, everything has its time and season. Power comes from God.
I think what should border PDP now and it’s stalwarts is 2023 and the need for the party to dissolve all camps and support groups that were sympathetic to aspirants and pursue a united common and consensus front for the party while making efforts to address divergent concerns and bickering of party faithful that arose from the build up to and the conduct of the primaries.
The party needs to be proactive in leading reconciliation initiatives engaging all concerns in their various localities furthering grassroots engagements to deepen democratic conversations and consultations with the people with the sole aim of victory in 2023. Ekpo Ada is noted for this idles as a bridge builder.
The SGB campaign team did excellently well and the structure is intact and growing as Senator Gershom Bassey’s political future is safe in God’s hands.
Ekpo Ada is the youngest Director General to all the Gubernatorial aspirants in the state with the widest network of supporters for SGB. He is an unassuming grassroot politician and a great mobiliser with long standing political pedigree and street popularity embedded in his electoral value.
The records are there to show. He contested elections and won as a Councillor, contested for House of Assembly, contested for House of Representatives where Dansuki is currently serving.
He served in the PDP National Convention Planning Committee and was appointed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP as the Chairman of an Electoral Panel in Akwa Ibom State. He is currently a member in the Constitutional Amendment Committee of PDP at the National level.
He also served as Chairman of Public Finance Management Board in Cross River State Government.
Ekpo Ada was the most successful Managing Director of Cross River State Water Board where over 9 General Managers of CRS Water Board branches worked under him. The likes of Chief Igbaji Monkom from Ogoja branch and Hon. Udie Mike of Obudu branch including the current State Secretary of APC Barr Bassey Mensah of Calabar branch respectively all worked under him. During his tenure, pipe borne water floored in homes even in his short stay though eventually dropped on political sentiments.
Ekpo Ada who was a comrade and a leader in several capacities in his school days at the University of Calabar in 2015, served as Secretary in the State Campaign Committee that ushered Governor Ben Ayade into office. In same 2015, he coordinated his Local Government Area for the Senatorial elections for SGB into office. In same 2015, he was a member of the Legal Team for the State with Barr. Paul Erokoro SAN that handled the election petitions against all PDP candidates successfully.
In 2019, I was the Director General for SGB when he contested against Senator Prince Bassey Otu and this can be attested for that SGB won his elections in all the wards and all polling units through his usual political bridge building network.
Let’s focus on the way forward than blame games that will not compensate us. SGB Campaign Organization is proud of Barr Ekpo Ada as her Director General for the Southern Senatorial District and needs no one’s malicious assessments. Hogan Offiong should rather give an assessment of Dansuki’s Campaign achievement instead of choosing to weep more than the bereaved.
Misang Misang, is a Political Analyst based in Ikom
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