While 2015 gubernatorial gladiators in many states are all about building structures and strategies, the case is quite different in Cross River where all but one of those eyeing Governor Liyel Imoke’s seat are plotting underground.

BY EMMANUEL UNA

One thing is certain in the politics of  silence currently pervading the political landscape in Cross River State and that is the reality that,  like the other thirty five states in the country,  on  May 29, 2015, Senator Liyel Imoke, the governor of the state would vacate office and handover  to another person after two terms in office.

What however, is not certain for now is who his successor would  be  owing to  the conspiracy of silence that has seemingly shrouded  the subject  in the state especially on who the prospective successor would be  among the  array  of  contenders quietly jostling  to step into the large footed shoes.

Although, there exists a long list of aspirants jostling for the exalted position,  the bulk of whom are aides and associates of  Governor Imoke, but significantly,  these aspirants operate behind the scenes owing to the uncertainty and fear  of incurring the wrath of the governor who has not given any clue either by body language or overt pronouncement  who  his proffered aspirant for the exalted position is.

Though  Governor Imoke had at different  fora alluded to the fact that one of the “members of the  PDP family” would  succeed him,  and the person will be younger than him, he has not  given any  direct clue  as to who the likely person  would be  or from which local government area in the state.

This has kept many reading his lips  and at different times, as it suits them, putting forward names of   who supposedly are receiving the governor’s  backing  to succeed him.

Speaking recently in Ogoja, the Northern Senatorial District headquarters, Senator Imoke asserted that though he does not know  will  succeed him, he  sure knows who will not and “ My successor may as well be in this room and at the appropriate time, which may not be far from now, we shall behold him”.  He attracted  a loud applause  for this statement.

Zoning formula: With the position effectively zoned to the Northern Senatorial District of the state, potential occupiers of the position have lined up and these include  Mr Larry Odey, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr John  Odey, former Minster of Environment, Mr Fidel Ugbo, Secretary of the National Planning Commission,  Mr Legor Idagbo, the Commissioner for Works, Dr Julius Okputu, former Commissioner for Environment, Senator Ben Ayade, the Senator representing the Northern Senatorial District of the State,  Mr Fidel Egoro, the State Deputy Chairman of the PDP, Dr Rose Oko, the member representing Ogoja /Yala  Federal Constituency among a host of others.

From among these plethora of aspirants, people of the state are frequently being assailed with names as the potential successors by different interest groups.

The contenders: The first name to be bandied about is that of Barrister Fidel Ugbo, the former Secretary to the Cross River State Government who was moved by Imoke to Abuja to occupy the state’s slot as Secretary of the National Planning Commission.

To give credence to their permutation,  they claim that his elevation to the position of Secretary of  the National Planning Commission is to accord him the leverage to make contacts at the Federal level which he will need when he assumes  the exalted office in 2015.

Ugbo’s name was on the lips of most people as the governor- in- waiting until the fancy of the names peddlers moved to that of the youthful commissioner for Works, Mr Legor Idagbo. A similar reason   was also advanced  for the adoption of the young man and that is that the governor having moved him from the post of local government chairman to become  commissioner in order to under study him to give him a grip of what to do when he becomes governor.

Not done yet, they have moved from Legor and the one that is currently making the rounds is that of Mr Gerald Ada, the Special Adviser on Investment and Promotion and his adoption, the clan  claim is occasioned by  his pedigree and  high profile performance by attracting investment in excess of ten billion dollars to the state in less than three years.

This impressive performance, they assert, has captivated Senator Imoke who has often harped on capacity and integrity as qualities his successor must have in abundance and in addition, his age bracket and that of Legor Idagbo falls within the 40 to 45 that the governor wants.

The bandying of  names notwithstanding,  these  preferred aspirants are even yet to  come out to declare their intentions to contest for the post as  fear and uncertainty pervades political climate  in the state.

Most of the aspirants including the preferred candidates  are fearful of offending the sensibilities of the governor who is yet to give any inkling,  covertly or   openly  on who among them is  his choice. Expectedly, the climate of fear has   forced them  to  restrict their consultation and political activity  within the confines of hush -hush  within their cycle of friends  while hoping  that the governor  will hear about their ambition and adopt them as  the party’s  consensus candidate.

However, the only sign of polarity among those contending for the number one position is an “outsider” Mr Gordy Jerdy Agba whose agents are crisscrossing the state and  boldly erecting political structures  for him to succeed the governor.  Agba, who is the General Manager Crude, NNPC is throwing everything into the contest through his foot soldiers, Dr Sandy Onor and Mr Venatius Ikem.

Eligibility to run elections
His boldness notwithstanding,  the prospects of Gordy Agba emerging as the candidate of the PDP seems  farfetched for now. Party insiders say he is not a card carrying member of the PDP in the state and as such cannot contest for the post of governor of the state.

The State Chairman of the PDP, Ntufam John Okon  told Vanguard in his office that the party has rules which spells out eligibility for one to run election under its platform and  Gordy Agba being a civil servant is not qualified to contest election on its platform. “Gordy Agba is not a member of our party and of course there are  party rules which spells out the number of years a person can be a member of the party  before being eligible to  run elections.”

But his foot soldiers, Dr. Onor and Barrister Ikem are confident that he is a registered member of the party and they have evidence to back their claims.

Ntufam Okon said that  amongst all the names being speculated as potential contenders for the position of governor, none  of them has consulted him to express his intention to run for the post of governor.

It is not surprising, it is part of the conspiracy of silence in the land of paradise.