Former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke
Elders and stakeholders in Cross River Southern Senatorial District have expressed their unhappiness towards one-time governor of the state, Mr Donald Duke.
At a news conference, they said he has disappointed and betrayed them, adding that it was height of ingratitude that having benefited from their support but has left them stranded.
Donald Duke does not align himself with APC who insists on rotation of political power between HR three districts. His large majority of his kinsmen and the southern stakeholders are rooting for their son, Senator Bassey Otu – the APC Governorship candidate but Duke distances himself from them and stoutly backs Senator Sandy Onor from the Central Senatorial District of the state. Duke argues that Back To South slogan is aimed at allowing Gov Ben Ayade’s shadows to persist in power.
Part of their statement at the conference said, “It is most unfortunate betrayal of any Cross Riverian who believes in justice, equity accommodation to deny power rotation to the south whose rightful turn it is.
“It is even more painful that this betrayal is coming from our son, Donald Duke from the South who benefited so much as governor but left the south stranded, impoverished and impotent at the end of his reign.
“Our son must be reminded today that power comes from God and not from any man.”
They disabused the mind of Duke and maintained that the 2023 gubernatorial election is not about Gov Ayade or ethnicity but equity, dissuading him from greed and selfishness.
They frowned and cautioned him against aligning with external force with power of petrodollars to sell the state and subject generations into slavery and oppression.