2023: Row in Cross River State PDP

A lawmaker, Gershom Bassey representing Cross River South Senatorial District has replied his colleague from the state, Sandy Onor representing the Central District and ex-governor, Mr. Donald Duke over their positions on zoning and rotational governorship that are brewing crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Duke had received Onor on consultation visit over his governorship aspiration last weekend, where he stated that there had been no zoning in the state.

He said; ”he did not become a governor on the basis of zoning or rotation.”

Onor, who has been maintaining the same position of no zoning of governorship seat in the state, told reporters at a news conference “that those who are promoting and spreading the message of zoning are either cowards, who do not have what it takes to contest the party’s ticket under a free and fair process, or are ethnic jingoists only interested in misleading our people in pursuit of their personal and selfish interests.”

Responding through a statement, Bassey, who is also governorship hopeful for the 2023 General election, said;

”In 2015 when Duke had left the PDP, there was a caucus meeting, which zoned the governorship to the Northern Senatorial District, with the understanding that after the North, rotation would continue with the South.

He said that “the people of the Southern Senatorial District have supported the power rotation principle.”

THE NATION/Mercy Chukwudiebere