The recently announced ministerial nominees by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may be triggering a political revolt against the State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, come 2027, as stakeholders from Northern Cross River Senatorial Zone are seemingly unhappy with him.
At a well-attended meeting held at the Abuja residence of one of the politicians from the Zone last week, following the unveiling of President Tinubu’s ministerial nominations, the group voiced their anger and frustration at what they described as the marginalization of the Zone.
Their anger stems from what they termed the Governor’s bad faith and willful exclusion of the zone from ministerial and other critical appointments.
The stakeholders complained about the over-concentration of key appointments such as the Secretary to the State Government, Speaker of the House of Assembly, and the recently unveiled two ministerial slots in the Central Senatorial District.
They insist that while the nomination of Dr. Beta Edu, the APC National Woman Leader, was based on her connection to the President, that of Senator Owan Eno, both from the Central Senatorial District, may have had the input of Governor Otu, especially as the name of the immediate past governor, Professor Ben Ayade, had earlier featured prominently in national media. The group suspected that Otu might have influenced the substitution of Ayade’s name at the eleventh minute.
The political actors alleged that the all-Central ministerial nomination was done to spite and subjugate the North whose son and the immediate past governor, Professor Ben Ayade assiduously worked for the emergence of the current governor as the APC gubernatorial candidate and then subsequent election as governor in March.
They are also accusing the Governor of subtle “Efiknization” of his government “in a brazen winner takes all posture that negates the plural nature of Cross River, our dear state”
According to one of them, “We have also observed, with bewilderment, a subtle Efiknization of governance in Cross River with Governor Otu’s Efik extraction carrying on in a brazen winner takes-all posture that negates the plural nature of Cross River, our dear state.”
Governor Otu, an Efik from the Southern Senatorial zone of the state, was elected in March on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in an election largely fought based on power rotation.
Another stakeholder present at the meeting opined that by allegedly nominating Senator Owan Eno as Minister in addition to his brother, Professor Anthony Owan’s appointment as the Secretary to the Cross River State Government, Governor Otu has made a fatal political calculation that could be his albatross and cost him re-election in 2027.
“The all-central ministerial nomination is self-immolation; it portends danger for Governor Otu. Everyone in Cross River knows that Senator Owan Eno’s governorship ambition is still alive and kicking, everyone knows that he is a master strategist who does not give up easily; everyone knows that if he had not heeded Tinubu’s plea to withdraw his pre-election case in court against Otu, Otu would probably not have been governor today and everyone knows that Senator Owan Eno will likely square up against Otu in 2027; so what the governor has tragically done is to sufficiently arm his potential opponent for Cross River 2027 gubernatorial contest with a voice and teeth to bark and bite”, he reasoned.
Ironically though, another election year, 2027, is still four years away, the Northern stakeholders, despite their anger over the all-central ministerial slots and the failure to give their zone any, have hinted at the possibility of the zone aligning with the Central come 2027 should Owan Eno decide to throw his hat into the ring with a more appealing running mate from the Northern Senatorial District.
“When you look at the geopolitical configuration of Cross River state, even the blind can see that all it requires for power to move from point A to point B is a synergy and a robust political marriage between the North and Central zones.
“If our dear Governor, Prince Bassey Otu continues to show bad faith to the North, we will be left with one option: Align with Central to teach him a political lesson in 2027”, one of the participants at the meeting told this magazine.
Continuing, he said: “If Senator Eno as a Minister with the attendant federal might decides to challenge Governor Otu for the 2027 Cross River APC gubernatorial ticket, political gladiator from the Northern Senatorial district, will be well disposed to working with him.
“Imagine Distinguished Senator Owan Eno as a governorship candidate pairing with and strong running mate from the North; the scenario will be akin to a walk in the park”
Sources privy to other weighty decisions taken at the meeting informed the magazine that the participants agreed that even in the Northern senatorial zone of the state, there is what they described as “marginalization within marginalization”, as out of the five local government areas that make up the zone, Bekwarra local government Area remains an orphan among the other four local governments, a similar fate they suffered under the immediate past administration of Governor Ayade.
According to them, while Ogoja has the Deputy Governor, Obanliku House of Reps member, Obudu has the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly and Yala has three Commissioner nominees, Bekwarra is left high and dry with just one Commissioner nominee.
“For the sake of equity and inclusiveness, our dear Governor can still right some of the wrongs by immediately reassigning Professor Owan and appointing an SSG from Bekwarra. This will not only assuage Bekwarra but correct the long years of marginalization under the leadership of Ayade, which is still being furthered by the current administration of Governor Otu”, they averred.
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