By Emma Una, CALABAR

A stalwart of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State,  Mr Ekpo Ada, has expressed alarm over the recent defection of prominent members of the party to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.

Ekpo Ada, who is the Director General of Senator Gershom Bassey Campaign Organisation, said the declaration by Senator Sandy Onor who is from the Central Senatorial District  to contest the governorship elections on the platform of the party  is one of the reasons causing disaffection among members and called for urgent action by the party’s leadership.

Ekpo Ada who was speaking to newsmen in Calabar said the declaration of  Sandy Onor is likely to spells doom for the party,  especially for the Southern Senatorial District as the party is already losing key members to other parties due to perceived injustice. 

“The recent defection of Barrister Edem Ekong and Architect Bassey Eyo Ndem  to the APC is  a signal that the PDP  in the state may be gradually at the brink of disintegration if urgent action is not taken by the party leadership on the zoning of the governorship position in 2023”.

 Ada warned that if the PDP does not come out strong within the next one month to state its position on power rotation and zoning, the consequences on the party may become disastrous.

“In  2015, the state PDP Caucus, which is the highest decision making body of the party, of which Bassey Ndem was a member then, agreed that power will return to the Southern Senatorial District in 2023 in line with the zoning policy of the party for equity, fairness and Justice and I wonder  why the party is delaying in taking a position on zoning of power to the South.”

The Director General of Gershom Bassey Organization declared that if the PDP does not put its house in order forthwith by streamlining party members aspirations, the party may be heading for a total rejection in the southern senatorial district which  is it’s turn  to produce the next Governor of the state, come 2023

He maintained that the southern senatorial district will only support parties that zone power to the south and nothing less, adding that Cross River cannot be an exception as other states in the country have embraced zoning as a workable policy to achieve peace, equity and political stability

He warned the PDP in the state to avert mass defection as the south is irrevocably committed to power shift to the south, come 2023

It would be recalled that Distinguished Senator Gershom Bassey,who is the leader of the Cross River Caucus of the PDP at the National Assembly, had declared that it is the turn of the South to produce the next Governor in 2023 based on existing arrangement in the state since 1999.

However he maintained that he was ready and prepared to contest for the PDP ticket with anybody from any zone.

Vanguard News Nigeria