Nathaniel Gbaoron
AS the political atmosphere is becoming tense, the Cross River Central senactorial District has insisted that winning strategies must be deployed in the forth coming general elections in the state.
It has also challenged the leadership of the party to ensure that credible candidates were allowed to emerge rather than emphasis being placed on zoning if the party must capture the state in 2023.
The party in a Communique issued at the end of its one day Ikom declaration meeting of the three governorship condidates of APC in the Central zone, and emailed to our correspondent, argued that the Central Senatorial District remained the most competitive senatorial district within the politics of APC in Cross River State, therefore, managing it to reap the maximum benefit of this quality must be guided jealously.
According to the Communique which was ratified and endorsed by the three gurber aspirants, Senator John Owan Enoh, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani and Mr Chris Agarah and all the local government areas under the zone, “deployment of wnning strategies and ensuring that credible candidates were allowed to emerge will do the party more good in the state than placing emphasis on zoning”
The Forum which resolved to pledge its support for President Mohammadu Buhari’s Government and commend the giant strides recorded in all the sectors of the nation’s economy, also appreciated the governor, Professor Ben. Ayade for defecting into the party and the Value it has brought as well as acknowledging his leadership rule in the State.
According to the Communique, The forum calls for the opening up of the political space in the party at the state level for the overall interest of the party in order to provide for the credible emergence of candidates that will be generally acceptable to the people. “Therefore, the emphasis should be on a winning strategy for the party and not a zoning strategy”.
“The Central Senatorial District is the only zone in the state that has not witnessed any wave of defections since the governor’s entry into the APC unlike the Southern and Northern Senatorial districts. This is largely as a result of the quality of political leadership and followership as well as the strength of the party in the District, therefore the leadership of the party is called upon to do everything to support the zone”.
The meeting while congratulating the state chairman of the APC, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar and members of the state executive committee of the APC for their emergence and recent inauguration, called on the party leadership to lead with fairness and inclusiveness for all party men and women irrespective of Senatorial District.
“The experience coming out of the recent bye-elections that took place in Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo State constituency with PDP winning the two local governments of Akpabuyo and Ogoja and the APC winning one, Yala, should not be taken for granted as what this suggests going forward into the party primaries and the 2023 general elections is that the party must spare nothing to be competitive in the choice of its candidates for every elective office”, the Communique declared.
“The Governor of Cross River State and leader of our party, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade has the greatest stake in retaining Cross River State as an APC state come 2023; together with Governor, the Central Senatorial District as the most competitive senatorial district with leaders that have made the greatest sacrifices for the survival of the party since its inception, the senatorial district has the responsibility to ensure that the party comes out victorious in the fourth coming elections” the statement added..
At the end of the meeting, the forum agreed to lead a delegation to the Governor and leader of the party to state their position on zoning.
Party faithful were drawn from the Local governments of Boki, Etung, Ikom, Yakurr and Abi that made up the Central Zone of the state.