The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, in Cross River State, southern Nigeria, has endorsed the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Professor Sandy Onor.
The fellowship in a statement jointly signed by its State Chairman, Dr. Lawrence Ekwok, the General Secretary, Apostle Frank Umo and the State Director, Politics and Good Governance, Professor Kyrian Ojong indicated that the decision to endorse the governorship candidate of the PDP was arrived at sequel to specific guidelines.
Reading the statement, the chairman of Cross River PFN, Dr. Ekwok indicated that the fellowship took a decision to participate actively in the emergence of a political leader in the state.
According to him, to drive the process of political participation, “a strategic committee was mandated to interview, interact and interrogate key governorship candidates based on specific guidelines, which character, capacity, competence, policies and manifestos of the candidates and recommend to the fellowship the candidate that they are convinced will best serve the interest of Cross River State.”
Continuing he stated, “the committee met five times and interviewed the governorship candidates of the APC (All Progressives Congress), PDP and PRP (Peoples Redemption Party). At their fifth meeting, the committee decided to vote individually based on the guidelines and at the end of voting eleven out of twelve members voted that the PFN should support and endorse the candidature of the governorship candidate of the PDP, Senator Sandy Onor.”
Collective decision
He further indicated that inputs of PFN leaders at the local government area levels were sorted, while three meetings were held at the different senatorial districts headquarters where 429 leaders voted through the secret ballot system.
Ekwok stated, “the PDP scored 260 votes, APC governorship candidate, Senator Prince Otu had 114 votes and the PRP candidate, Dr. Usani Usani, a former Minster of Niger Delta affairs got 47 votes, while 8 votes were voided. The PDP candidate had the highest of votes.”
The PFN state chairman explained that additional measures, such as an enlarged meeting of State Advisory Council, the State Executive Committee and local government coordinators, were taken to arrive at a collective and unanimous decision.
He urged all members of the fellowship in Cross River State to “vote massively for the PDP governorship candidate in the March 11, 2023 governorship election as the endorsement is the collective and unanimous decision of the leadership and membership of PFN Cross River State.”
N.O
