2015: C’River North and quest for governorship slot

Since Governor Liyel Imoke announced a desire to see  his successor come from Cross River North senatorial district, there has been a series of activities designed to make this come to pass, writes MUDIAGA AFFE

it is no longer news that the people of Cross River North who make up the old Ogoja district are yet to occupy the office of governor in Cross River State.

So, it did not come to many as a surprise when Governor Liyel Imoke announced that his successor would emerge from the district. His pronouncement is also said to enjoy the backing of the state chapter of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

Leading political figures from the district saw this as an opportunity to come together in order to withstand the challenge other contenders may pose.

A desire to ensure that Imoke’s successor emerges from the north formed the basis of a recent interactive session of the Northern Cross River Coalition which took place at the Channel View Hotel, in Calabar.

Former governor, Mr. Donald Duke, who presided over the affairs of the state from 1999 to 2007, hails from the southern senatorial district while his successor and the current governor, Imoke, whose tenure is expected to end by 2015, hails from Cross River central.

It is on this score that politicians from the north argue that one of their own should mount the saddle to ensure equity.

Not everybody appears satisfied either by this logic or with Imoke’s declaration of support. Political leaders from the southern senatorial district are more favourably disposed to honouring an age-long Calabar-Ogoja accord. The accord, (which was reached when the present day Akwa Ibom State was part of old Cross River State), stipulates that power should rotate between the southern senatorial district and the north.

Towards this end, political leaders from the southern district under the aegis of the Southern Senatorial District Stakeholders Forum convened a meeting in October 2013.

The meeting, which was held at the instance of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Efiok Cobham, resolved that although there were three senatorial districts in the state, balancing and sharing of political positions with regards to 2015 elections must be based on the “Calabar-Ogoja Accord.”

Specifically the communiqué partly reads, “While recognising the existence of three senatorial districts in the state, and the need for equity and accommodation of the interests of each of the districts, (we) implore that the spirit and essence of the Calabar –Ogoja Accord which formed the basis of the coming together of Cross River State, must always be respected in balancing and sharing of political positions and opportunities.”

Feelers from that meeting which was equally attended by leading PDP figures pointed to the fact that the south might also field a candidate to vie for the position based on this argument.

Stakeholders from the southern district perhaps borrowed a leaf from their counterparts from the central senatorial district.

Unlike their southern counterparts, PDP stakeholders from the central senatorial district, reiterated support for Imoke’s decision. They announced their support for any northern candidate who the governor nominated as his successor.

The meeting was convened by the member representing Etung-Obubra Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. John Owan-Enoh, and his colleague from the Abi-Yakurr constituency, Mr. Bassey Ewah.

Owan-Enoh had during the meeting explained that stakeholders from the central senatorial district, owed Imoke a duty to support his position because he is equally a major stakeholder from the district.

He said “It is therefore left for us to support and help him to succeed in the last two years of his tenure. The meeting is called so that we can work closely with the governor to ensure he picks a worthy successor.

“He (Imoke) has said it will go to the north, let us support him. He has not seen any successor yet, but if he does, let us all support him. None of us here can challenge him on his choice.”

Corroborating this position, Mr. Bassey-Ewah, said it was time to come out to let the people of the state know that with a bloc support from the central senatorial district, a governor can emerge from the north.

As the debate rages, a PDP chief and former deputy governor of the state, Dr. Matthias Offoboche, argues that it would be unfair for people to use a 1979 accord to explain power rotation in 2014/2015.

He noted that since the southern and central senatorial districts had  already taken their turns in the governance of the state, the Calabar-Ogoja accord was no longer applicable.

Offoboche said the old accord recommended the rotation of key political positions between the then Calabar and Ogoja senatorial districts of the old Cross River State. This, he said, was no longer feasible today.

Offoboche was the chairman of the committee which drafted the power rotation document at the Obudu Cattle Ranch in 1979.

He said, “The so-called Calabar-Ogoja Accord was a reality, but the Calabar-Ogoja Accord was premised on the provisions of the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria.

“In 1979, we had two senatorial district structures. Calabar-Ogoja District of Cross River was enshrined in the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria.

“The 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is dead. We are now operating the 1999 Constitution as amended. The 1999 Constitution talks of three senatorial districts  – North, South and Central. So, it is unconstitutional to now begin to talk about Calabar-Ogoja Accord in 2013, 2014 or 2015 for the purposes of who should take the governorship slot of Cross River State in the next political dispensation.”

At the recent meeting spearheaded by Offoboche in Calabar, stakeholders from the north under the aegis of the Northern Cross River Coalition,  there was intense debate to unify and present an acceptable governorship candidate  in the coming election.

The senator representing Cross River North in the National Assembly, Prof. Ben Ayade, argued that Imoke’s decision to zone the slot to the north was unique. He explained that it was left for stakeholders from the district to ensure the emergence of a credible candidate.

Ayade said, “What we discussed with Imoke three years ago is what is manifesting now. Imoke had said during his 2012 re-election campaign that power would go to the north and he has kept faith with that promise. We appreciate him for that because he has given it to a zone with five local government areas whereas the central and south has six and seven respectively.”

Also, a member representing Ogoja-Yala constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr. Rose Oko, berated stakeholders of the party, ostensibly from other zones, who were of the view that the north did not have credible candidates capable of leading the state.

She said the north would prove critics wrong by producing one of the best candidates that would provide leadership for the state come 2015.

“The gauntlet has been thrown down, it is now left for us to take it up. So, we need to sail the ship from here on without acrimony,” Oko added.

Other representatives from Yala, Bekwarra, Ogoja, Obudu and Obanliku- the five local government areas making up the zone-spoke of the need to work together to actualise this desire.

At the end of the interactive session, other stakeholders from the north agreed that they needed to put their house in order. This, they argued, was required as they solicited the support of other senatorial districts towards the actualisation of their dream.

At the  last count, aspirants from the zone angling to succeed Imoke are, the Group General Manager (Crude) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Jeddy Agba; Executive Secretary, National Planning Commission, Dr. Fidelis Ugbo; Commissioner for Works, Mr. Legor Idagbo.

Others are – a former Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey; Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, Mr. Larry Odey; a former acting governor, Mr. Frank Adah; Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Mr. Patrick Ugbe; and a banker, Chief Francis Bullem.

Politician and business mogul, Gershom Bassey, is the only aspirant from the southern senatorial district, who has shown interest in the race for now.

Although, the opposition All Progressives Congress has also zoned its governorship ticket to the northern senatorial district, the PDP is not leaving anything to chance.

But pundits are worried that PDP stakeholders of northern extraction have continued to hold series of meetings expecting that their chosen aspirant must be the anointed candidate of Imoke.

Social critic, Mr. Solomon Bassey, cautioned against the politics of anointing a candidate outside the time-tested democratic process.

He argued that a transparent democratic process should be allowed to produce a credible and acceptable candidate from an array of aspirants from the northern district.

Those familiar with Cross River politics argue that although the state has remained a stronghold of the ruling PDP since 1999, it may not be immuned to the incursion of the APC if cracks within the ruling party are allowed to fester.

Copyright PUNCH.