2019 election: Why we’ll not vote for APC, PDP – Cross River Central
neither cast their votes for the All Progressives Congress, APC, nor
the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP senatorial candidates.
The people of the senatorial district are currently angry with the All
APC, and the PDP, and have also threatened protest votes against both
parties and their candidates.
They said the two parties were allegedly promoting politics of
exclusion, divide and rule and the marginalization they have suffered
over the years.
This discontent is stronger in old Obubra part of the senatorial
district where the people are bitter that they have not been able to
produce a senator for Cross River Central since the return of
democracy in 1999 in negation to the zoning arrangement entered into
by both sections of the district.
They are wondering why senatorial candidates from old Ikom cannot act
like Senator Ben Murray-Bruce of Bayelsa East who, though in his first
term at the Senate has resisted the temptation of abusing internal
zoning arrangement in his senatorial district, by declaring publicly
that he would not be seeking re-election in 2019.
Cross River Central comprises the old Ikom and the old Obubra. These
used to be local government areas until Abi, Yakurr, Etung, and Boki
were added to the two. But about 20 years now since the return of
democracy, old Ikom has been occupying that position.
The other half of the senatorial district believe now is their turn to
produce a senator as they have been patiently supporting the old Ikom
over the years to win the seat. This feeling is gaining momentum as
the Social Democratic Party, SDP, has given their ticket to an Obubra
son.
However, two other major parties, APC and PDP have picked their
standard bearers for the Cross River Central seat in the Senate from
old Ikom, causing disenchantment and concerns in virtually their
entire district. Prominent leaders of thought in the senatorial
district shared these sentiments with reporters over the weekend.
"The APC and the PDP picked their candidates from the Old Ikom section
of the district which has been providing the senator since the return
of democracy, but only SDP has moved to correct the injustice by
fielding a candidate from old Obubra. We are going to vote massively
for SDP because of that," said Chief Victor Oyama from Obubra LGA.
Also speaking, Mr. Eval Ejeje Egbe from Abi LGA said, "The senatorial
district used to have just Ikom and Obubra LGAs before the creation of
other LGAs. Obubra was divided into three same as Ikom. Ordinarily,
after Ikom enjoys the senatorial seat, it should swing to Obubra. As
it stands now, the people of Obubra are very angry and thinks they are
being taken for a ride.
"They have resolved to vote against any party that didn't field a
senatorial candidate from the old Obubra. In PDP and APC, aspirants
from Obubra sought the ticket but they were sidestepped and the
tickets of both parties went to persons from Ikom despite outcries of
marginalisation from the Obubra people. So, the people have resolved
that this time, it is their turn and are not ready to give listening
ears to candidates from the other part of the district when they come
for campaign".
The community leaders also faulted one of the candidates who is
leaving the chairmanship of the Niger Delta Development Commission,
NDDC, to return to the Senate, lamenting that the candidate was
shortchanging the entire Cross River.
Yakurr-born, Mrs Comfort Okoi said, "It's unfortunate that one of the
old Ikom native vying for the senatorial seat is abandoning a position
bigger and more beneficial to the state than that of a senator. He is
the chairman of NDDC yet he wants to drop it for the same senatorial
seat the people of Obubra has not tasted. People have been telling him
that he will be shortchanging Cross River if he drops his plum
position at NDDC as it will automatically go to another state.
"After being a senator for three terms, he's now chairman of NDDC
which is bigger than a senate seat yet he wants to come and be
struggling for the smaller opportunity for people of his senatorial
district, robbing the district of the privilege of producing both the
senator and the NDDC chairman. He wants to deprive Cross River state
of the opportunity of producing chairman of NDDC and also deprive
another people who are due to have one of their own in the senate.
That is wickedness and callousness!
"We don't want Egba at the senate, we want him to remain as NDDC
chairman so he can be giving our people jobs and contracts. If he
leaves that place, a Cross River indigene won't be appointed as
replacement immediately. Is it not foolishness for somebody to abandon
a prime position in the country to come and be struggling for
something that is statutory to his people? You're a chairman of NDDC
and you want to abandon for a seat you have occupied for a dozen
years."
On his part, Mr Enang Asu from Boki LGA said, "The PDP candidate is
also from Ikom even when the governorship candidate of the APC, Owan
Enoh, is from the same LGA as the senatorial flag bearer, meaning that
if things go their way a local government would have produced the
governor as well as senator in Cross River. That's unheard of. Beyond
that, his kinsman is the current senator representing Cross River
Central, how then can the same LGA produce his successor to the
disadvantage of the other five LGAs particularly those in the old
Obubra who haven't tasted the seat since 1999.
"At the return of democracy in 1999, the first senator for Cross River
Central was Senator M. T. Mbu from old Ikom. He handed over to Ndoma
Egba also from old Ikom. Ndoma Egba was there for 12 years and handed
over to another Ikom man, Owan Enoh who is there for another four
years making 20 years that the seat has been occupied by people of
that area. Yet, both PDP and APC want to have the seat remaining in
old Ikom, haba na!"
Also expressing concern is Ikom-born Moses Ojong, who said, "The
people of Ikom have truly been enjoying the support of old Obubra and
we expect that they should produce the senator this time around but it
seems to me they are not forthcoming and are not ready for it.
"I can assure you that if anybody from old Obubra comes out now, we
will give our support not minding the party because our people are
understanding and there is indeed a zoning arrangement that should be
respected. We don't mind allowing them to enjoy what we have been
enjoying since 1999 so that it can come back to our children, if not
them now.
"It's true that the status quo favours us but some of our people are
worried. For APC and PDP to field candidates from old Ikom despite
knowing the political history of Cross River Central seems as if they
want to destroy the bond of brotherhood between Obubra and Ikom
people; divide and rule if you like.
"The other section will now be thinking that all of us in old Ikom are
power grabbers and we fear that when they eventually occupy the
senatorial seat, they wouldn't want to hand over to our children. So,
justice should prevail.
"We heard that an Obubra person has just emerged as candidate of a
major party, we are happy about that so that we can now balance the
injustice people of Obubra has been crying for. But you know power is
not just given to somebody but has to be struggled for. So, we are
just watching to see how serious that SDP candidate is to take what
rightfully should be for the old Obubra zone.
"It is true that we've enjoyed the support of old Obubra for about 20
years. Out of this, one of our sons has been there for 12 years. Some
of us think the other people are not forthcoming so we should not just
throw the juicy position away. But we're now seeing some seriousness
as SDP is fielding an Obubra man, we will reciprocate the support they
have given us all these years in 2019."
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