Cross River Guber: A clash of titans
There are three major contenders for the governorship race in Cross River State. They are incumbent Ben Ayade of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Eyo Ekpo, a former Attorney General under former Governor Donald Duke, for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Senator John Owan-Enoh of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Latest Appeal Court ruling favours Owan-Enoh against Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani.
There are three major contenders for the governorship race in Cross River State. They are incumbent Ben Ayade of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Eyo Ekpo, a former Attorney General under former Governor Donald Duke, for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Senator John Owan-Enoh of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Latest Appeal Court ruling favours Owan-Enoh against Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani.
Aclear favourite for the Cross River State Government House is difficult to call for the March 9, 2019 governorship election. It is true that Governor Ben Ayade worked hard for the PDP to win last week’s presidential and National Assembly elections, the party has also entrenched itself in the state, having good structures and increasing supporters. APC wrangling But the major opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which evidently has come up stronger in the last two years following the defection of staunch PDP men, has consolidated its position and membership across the state for the March 9 polls. This might just be the first time that the APC can truly make real its desire to grab power from the PDP in the state since the return to democracy in 1999. But its internal wrangling has persisted and impacting negatively its formidability.
The Appeal Court sitting in Calabar and Abuja have given, at least, three rulings at different times on the matter of state party exco and the authentic gubernatorial candidate for the March 9 election, so far. Both Usani Usani and Senator John Owan-Enoh have been contending over the candidature.
Last Wednesday, the Appeal Court sitting in Calabar overruled INEC which had said APC had no candidate in the state. It reinstated Senator John Owan-Enoh as the authentic APC governorship candidate for the March 9, 2019 governorship and Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and others for the just concluded National Assembly elections.
The ruling granted a formal “Stay of Execution Order” to the earlier ruling which gave a leeway to Usani as the candidate.
The court’s panel of three judges headed by Justice A. M Uwade frowned at what it called INEC’s misinterpretation of its earlier order of February 20 which directed that parties in the matter maintain “Status Quo Ante”, pending determination of the substantive case.
Counsel to APC and others, including Senator Owan-Enoh, Awa Kalu (SAN) noted that “the import of the Stay of the Execution granted and reinforced simply reverses all that INEC may have done in error or compromise of any sort.”
The three judges in the panel unanimously agreed that the Stay of Execution Order earlier granted subsists in the interest of justice as evident in the affidavit and counter affidavit as contained in the subject matter of the appeal, suit N0: CA/C/62/2019.
With Owan-Enoh going into the polls, Ayade may truly be rattled, although the issue of zoning seems pronounced. Ayade’s people in northern Cross River are insisting that their son must complete his two terms and this might affect votes for Owan. Ayade Gov Ayade has much going for him towards next weekend governorship election not only because he is the incumbent, he has done a lot in recent times to sway the electorate.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), which evidently has come up stronger in the last two years following the defection of staunch PDP men, has consolidated its position and membership across the state for the March 9 polls
For instance, he has accommodated major stakeholders. To increase his foot soldiers, over a week ago, he swore in another set of 378 appointees as security council members for the 18 local government areas of the state. Since he came to power, local government areas have not elected chairmen. So Ayade’s last minute appointment has been considered by many as a political masterstroke for his second term ambition.
Before now he had given appointments to over 6000 as his personal assistants and special advisers. He said he was expanding his government to the remotest villages as a way of “putting foods on their tables.”
All these are expected to impact on his performance in the elections.
He established some factories, though most of them are yet to fully take off. Though members of the opposition have faulted the projects, the rice multiplication plant, is quite a booster to local production. Opposition Whether at the end of the day it is Owan-Enoh or Usani that makes it to the ballot paper as the APC candidate, they are both big time players with large followers and good strategies. Each one of them is capable of winning substantial votes. Usani told newsmen recently that he has attempted the governorship twice, and that he has
He is the fresher alternative’. His stronghold is the Southern senatorial district. He is Efik and riding on the back of Donald Duke, his former boss to make some impact
plans in place to win the September 9 election. He vehemently denied that he was being bankrolled by Ayade to disrupt APC efforts. “Those who hold that laughable view are only timid,” he said.
Owan-Enoh, a former University of Calabar lecturer and long-time state and federal lawmaker is acknowledged as having the wherewithal to win.
Ekpo of the SDP may be a dark horse compared to the others. His party is not popular in the state. He also does not have a lot of resources at his disposal. However, some analysts say “he is the fresher alternative’. His stronghold is the Southern senatorial district. He is Efik and riding on the back of Donald Duke, his former boss to make some impact.
The parties are all working hard to counter one another and analysts say it will be a tight contest.