By Emmanuel Unah

CALAABR– Tribal sentiments are shadowing the aspiration of the All Progressives, APC, to win the governorship seat in Cross River following the emergence of Senator John Enoh and his running mate, Ntufam Ekpo Okon.

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Though Enoh and Okon are from Central and Southern senatorial districts, respectively are, they are said to be from the same Ejagham tribe, a matter that is said to be causing friction among some party stakeholders.

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A member of the party who is Efik, the tribe that shares contiguous landscape with the Quas who are Ejagham told Vanguard that the selection of Okon by Enoh is a calculated move to undermine and subjugate the Efik. The disquiet by the Efik who dominate the Southern senatorial district follows Enoh’s visit to the Obong of Calabar, Etiyin Ekpo Otu V where he debunked claims that he once said that he does not need Efik votes to win the governorship election.

His decision to pick his running mate from the micro minority Qua ethnic group and leave out the majority Efik in the Southern senatorial district appears not to be helping matters for him.

Besides the configuration of the APC ticket, the Efik are said not to be prepared to wait for another eight years before assuming  the governorship seat since they believe Enoh would not only take eight years but also may handover to someone in the North which he may be short-changing if he wins the election.

The claims of the Efik are, however, not being taken lightly by the Qua, who feel a sense of betrayal by their Efik brethren with whom they have had political and cultural affinity for ages.

“We supported Donald Duke in 1999 to become governor and they have since had the positions of deputy governor, three senators, and now that a Qua son is being picked for the post of deputy for the first time, the Efik are about stabbing us in the back. If they do, we shall pay them in their own coin,” Johnson Eyata threatened.

He said the governorship flagbearer, Senator Enoh is from the Central district of the state while Okon is from the southern district and wonders why their tribal origins should be a major consideration when the two represent different districts.

“The people of Okoyong are in Odukpani, which is Obong’s territory and because they have brethren in other places that is why they speak the Ejagham dialect and not because they are necessarily Ejagham themselves” Eyata reasoned.