|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Akpan David, Calabar
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders and supporters in Cross River state have threatened a protest vote in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023 if it does not zone the governorship ticket to the south.
This position is becoming imminently apparent, according to them, as body language of the party leadership seems to favour elsewhere whereas they claim it ought to go to the south.
The PDP stalwarts reacted to the emergence of Prince Bassey Otu as the APC from the south as their flagbearer, and a recent statement by the State Chairman of the PDP Mr. Venatius Ikem that the 2023 governorship race should not be zoned to any specific senatorial zone of the state.
Ikem had said, “I still stand by zoning by elimination because it is what we have practiced before. I don’t know why people are making a big deal out of it”
Speaking to journalists in Calabar, former member representing Abi\Yakurr Federal House of Representatives, Mr. Bassey Ewa said “in 1999 after Donald Duke (South), it was Liyel Imoke (Central), after Liyel Imoke, Ben Ayade (north) is about to round up his own eight years in power.
“Courtesy demands that we go back to the south and start from where we started the first time.
“In 1999, Donald Duke was an unpopular candidate. The people of Southern Senatorial district had in mind then Prof. Eyo Etim Nyong, a household name then. Even in PDP we were afraid of him. Donald just came. Nobody knew him. But it took just one mistake and what was that by APP who took its ticket from Eyo Etim Nyong and gave it to somebody who was not from the South. That is what I see playing out again.
” Unfortunately, it is those that should advise us well that are even making the mistake. APC has done the right thing. They have got Bassey Otu. For me it is a lesson for PDP to say come let us sit back and address the issues that are coming up within the party.
I’m in support of the Obong of Calabar statement. It speaks volume”.
For PDP to make a headway, he advised them to look at Gershom Bassey as one that can match Otu.
Also speaking, former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the State, Barr. Attah Ochinke said, “we in PDP expected APC to come up with a strong candidate. Our contention has been that we should also come up with a candidate that should supersede the candidate of the APC in terms of competence and capacity and in all the indices that people desire in a governor. It is my personal opinion that the choice of Prince Otu from the Southern Senatorial District reflects the general geopolitical sentiment of people that the governorship should come to the southern senatorial district of Cross River State.
“I am certain that my party members in PDP are taking note of this to ensure that we make no mistake on the choice of our own candidate. We are not bound by what APC has done. We are going to run our own race and the choice of our candidate according to how we believe it will be in the ultimate interest of the people.
In his corroboration, onetime member of House of Representatives (Calabar South/Akpabuyo/Bakassi), Dr Patrick Ene Okon stated, “there will be a very big undoing by PDP to take a candidate outside the southern senatorial district otherwise what happened in 1999 between the APP and PDP will replay.
dumped its candidate from the south and went for a candidate from the north.
“That was why we in the south including myself carried out a protest vote and worked for PDP which Donald Duke was the flag bearer and we won.”
He said there are very strong aspirants from the south such as Gershom Bassey, Daniel Asuquo, Arthur Jarvis and others, adding that the masses do not want any person Governor Ben Ayade has brought.
Member representing Boki 1 in the State House of Assembly, Itam Abang, declared, “PDP candidate is from the South. Of course I am very sure about that. Cross River is PDP. It is not an APC state. Gershom Bassey is a preferred candidate. He is the leading aspirant as far as this race is concerned. Let them (APC) bring whoever they want to bring. Cross River is PDP”.
