By Goddie A. Akpama.
Having successfully deceived members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State into believing that the principles of power rotation had never been and was immaterial in 2023 transition process, and the stability of polity of the state, Senator Sandy Onor, is at it again.
This time around, Senator Sandy Onor, the governorship candidate of the PDP who is rightly afraid of the impossibility of him winning the March 11, 2023 governorship election, has resorted to promoting ethnic sentiments, believing his deceptive message being anchored on Ejagam Nation against others will make him governor.
Yes, Sandy has suddenly switch on his frustration on his ill fated “Ejagam Nation Versus Others” propaganda because the anti Zoning and anti Back -to- South sentiment has resulted in intractable disunity in the PDP and total disorientation of the party in the state.
No wonder the PDP was badly trounced in Cross River State during the February 25th, Presidential and National Assembly elections. His party the PDP came a distant third in the Presidential election in the State.
The PDP also suffered defeats in 8 out of 11 National Assembly Constituencies in the State, all due to the seed of discord he planted when he literally scattered the age long Zoning arrangement of his party which has been in place since 1999.
Sandy believes only in his selfish ambition to becoming governor, and thus joined the Wike faction of the PDP to divide the party in the state into two warring fronts, and they fought themselves during the February 25 election.
Sandy and his followers in the Wike faction treated their Presidential Candidate disdainfully by staying away from his visit to CR, all for fear of Wike, because he wants Wike to make him governor, so he hands over Cross River State to him, all for Wike to bankroll his governorship ambition!!
Let’s beware of this accident thats about to happen!! Crossriverians must wake up to reject it now!
Based on verifiable facts from observations during last Saturday’s voting, members of the Wike faction of the PDP did not vote for Atiku and other candidates of their party in the Southern and Central Senatorial Districts whom they perceived to be anti-Wike.
Members of the Imoke faction who are against Wike faction also made sure they did not vote for candidates loyal to the Rivers State Governor, so Sandy lost his ward, and local government, even though I have also heard that he lost his polling unit.
No wonder Sandy is hanging on any irrational straw like promoting ethnic division by campaigning on the so-called turn of Ejagam Nation.
Crossriverians have demonstrated that they are not prepared to swallow such political message that smacks of ungodly hypocrisy from Sandy, the messanger.
Sandy should please come out to tell the people of Ejagam Nation in the Southern Senatorial District why he didn’t step down or support Hon. Daniel Asuquo aka Dansuki, who is a real Ejagam man from Akamkpa to emerge as the PDP flag bearer for the simple reason that Dansuki’s emergence would have killed two birds with one stone by promoting Back-to-South and the Ejagam Nation ascendency to the governorship position in the state.
Sandy cannot, and will not be allowed to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes because we have already dictated and rejected his Ejagam Nation antics.
It is very clear that Sandy’s campaign which is based on promoting his personal agenda as though it were an Ejagam agenda has failed because the Cross River people know it will divide the people and promote unnecessary ethnic rivalry and ethnic problems within them.
Only an extremely self-centered politician will promote and support factionalism in his party, and ethnic division in his State just to attain his political ambition of becoming governor.
However, it is gratifying to note that leaders, and stakeholders of Ejagam Nation have distanced themselves from Sandy and his destructive political strategy of promoting and projecting one ethnic group against others.
It is very obvious that if Sandy succeeds he would promote suspicions and unhealthy political rivalry and cutthroat competition among the various ethnic groups in the state.
However, it is gratifying to note that prominent sons and daughters of Ejagam Nation have spoken up against Sandy’s political antics of attempting to cruise to power on ethnic sentiments.
The Ejagam leaders and stakeholders have distanced themselves from Sandy, saying there was no time the Ejagham people met and decided to adopt Sandy Onor as their candidate. They have made it clear that they are in support of Back-to-South, and also in support of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prince Bassey Otu.
In fact, traditional rulers from Sandy’s Etung Local Government Area have also distanced themselves from the Ejagam Nation propaganda, and have declared their support for Back-to-South, saying the next governor must of necessity come from Cross River South Senatorial District.
On Back-to-South We all Stand!.
