On Saturday, the 10th of November 2018, leaders from the Northern and Southern Senatorial District met at the residence of Chief Asuquo Ekpeyong to deliberate on issues relating to the 2019 Gubernatorial Election in Cross River State as it concerns zoning.
The meeting which lasted for hours had in attendance notable elders from the Northern and Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State.
Leaders and elders from the North had already met at Asdam Hotels in Calabar before proceeding to meet with their Southern counterpart. At the Northern Elders meeting which was convened by Brigadier General Anthony Ukpo, the elders noted that before Political Parties did their primaries, the Forum had advised parties on the need to produce governorahip candidates from the North on the grounds of equity and fairness.
Addressing journalist at the Northern Senatorial District meeting in Asadam Hotels Calabar, Gen. Ukpo stated that the forum will meet with other zones on the need to maintain the current zoning formulae in the state that has encouraged political stabilization and peace in the State. The former military governor of Rivers State said "We have been watching the turn-up of events, and we felt it was time for us to come together again to hold another meeting to review and see how we can move forward. At the meeting in Ogoja, we decided that we were going to nominate a subcommittee of the whole to engage with both the central and the southern senatorial district, in other to solicit their support. So those that are present here today constitute that committee that is going to be engaging with other senatorial districts to appeal to them, this time to appeal to the electorates no more to the parties, to go along with the zoning and rotation principle that we have so far adhered to in Cross River State".
A former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu G. Agabi (SAN) also sent a message of solidarity to the Elders.
At the end of the meeting of the Northern Elders, the convener of the group General Anthony Ukpo addressed journalist on decisions taken at the meeting. He said "From here we have decided that we are going to have an interaction with elders of the Southern Senatorial District and the purpose is to solicit their support to ensure that the Northern Senatorial District returns Governor Ben Ayade, been the only candidate from the North. This is a consultation and we are also going to go to the Center, we also agreed that we will visit the Elders from the Center to also solicit their support. At this point in time we are talking about the electorates, not the parties anymore because the parties have finish their primaries, that is where there would have influenced zoning the position to the North. But since they didn't all do that, we are now saying directly to the electorates through the Elders forum of the various Senatorial District to say that they should vote for the only candidate from the North which in this case happens to be Governor Ben Ayade"
At the residence of Chief Asuquo Ekpeyong, the meeting between the Northern and Southern Senatorial District Elders which last for hours, produced a communiqué. The communique reads as follows:
"This is a communiqué issued at the joint meeting of the Northern and Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State held today the 10th day of November 2018. The meeting of the leaders, elders and opinion molders from the two Senatorial Districts. The meeting is to fashion out terms of engagement and future alliances. It move from the understanding that the development of the state is a function of its peaceful coexistence. Such coexistence is further enhanced by a sense of equity, fairness, justice and inclusion. Consequently, the meeting addressed a number of issues and agreed to continue with future consultation as a means of reinforcing cooperation and understanding. The meeting therefore resolved as follows; 1. that the principle of rotation and zoning of the governorship seat should be maintained and sustained amongst the three senatorial districts of the state in all future elections. 2. Both sides agreed that such rotation and zoning consist of allowing each senatorial district complete its eight years of two terms as this was the case in the Southern and Central Senatorial Districts of the State. Upon completion of the second term of the Northern Senatorial District which will be in 2023, the rotation/zoning shall recommence in the Southern Senatorial District and followed in that sequence as earlier instituted. There is need for further engagements starting with a meeting between the North and Central Senatorial District, this will be followed by a tripartite meeting of all the elders, leaders, opinion molders and stakeholders of the three senatorial districts of the state to consolidate this arrangements and make them broadly acceptable to the people of the state, as a means of ensuring peaceful political coexistence and stability".
The meeting had in attendance Brigadier General Anthony Ukpo, Chief Asuquo Ekpeyong Chief Linus Okom, Chief J. I. Igbe, Hon. Eta Mbora, Prof. Ayara, Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, Elder John Okon Barr. Idih Yakubu, Chief Charles Abuo, Barr. Marc Enahme, Mrs. Theresa Ezama, the Northern Senatorial District Forum’s secretary Barr. Leonard Anyogo and other notable elders from the Northern and Southern Senatorial Districts of Cross River State
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