CALABAR—CROSS  River Northern Consultative Elders Forum, CRNCEF, the umbrella body for elders in the five local government areas of the northern part of the state    has thrown its weight behind  Governor Ben Ayade’s second term ambition, insisting that the governorship position should stay in the zone for eight years.

Governor Ben Ayade

The forum is made up of notable figures such as  Gen. Anthony Ukpo (retd) chairman, Chief Linus Okom, Joseph Ugbe, Dave Ashang and Mike Aniah all former Secretaries to the State Government, Chief Joseph Ugbe, Dr Peter Ojie, Special Adviser to Governor Ayade, former council chairmen and other statesmen from Ogoja, Obudu, Obanliku, Bekwarra and Yala Local Government Areas within the zone.

The support for the incumbent and the need to retain the governorship in the North is against the back drop of agitations by some sections in Southern and Central senatorial zones of the state to join the governorship race in 2019.

The  spokesperson of the Forum and former military Administrator of Rivers state, Gen Anthony Ukpo (retd) ,  said it had become a convention that each zone must exhaust its two  terms governorship slots and old Ogoja cannot be an exception.

Speaking in Ogoja shortly after its meeting, Ukpo said their position was in line with the zoning policy  which has been in place  which the South and Central zones  had benefitted from as their sons, former Govs Donald Duke (1999-2003) and Liyel Imoke (2003-2015) respectively served two terms.

“We acknowledge the mutual understanding shown by all political parties  in 2015 elections in which all the political parties zoned the gubernatorial tickets to the Northern senatorial district for the purpose of fairness and equity.

“And in the spirit of brotherhood, we  also appeal that all political parties  in the state should maintain  similar mutual understanding  in the 2019 general election  by retaining the zoning of governorship  to the northern senatorial district of the state  as well as  picking their candidates  for that office from  the zone.

“This gesture, will allow the Northern senatorial zone to retain the governorship slot for another term of four years to be at par with the other senatorial zones which each held the governorship for eight year.”