Ntufam John Okon
Sen. Bassey Otu
Gov. Imoke
Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar
The leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Cross River appears to have abandoned its zoning policy for political positions going by the utterances of the Party Chairman, Ntufam John Okon, Friday in Calabar.
Okon stated the party’s in response to Sen. Bassey Otu, representing Cross River South Senatorial District, who paid him a courtesy visit at the party secretariat.
He told senator Otu and his supporters who accompanied him to the party secretariat that the party executive committee met on wide ranging issues including zoning of political positions in the state.
“We insisted that the process must be very open and transparent. We have not authorised any zoning of any position in the state. We believe that the process of zoning must be through discussion and consensus building,’’ Okon said.
His clarification on zoning attracted a thunderous applause from the senator’s supporters amid rumours that he wsa not eligible to contest for a second term because his seat had been zoned.
Okon’s position runs contrary to an earlier declaration by Gov. Liyel Imoke of Cross River that the party had zoned the governorship seat to Cross River North senatorial district and that other positions will be zoned as well.
Some of the positions reportedly zoned against the interest of the incumbent office holders were that of the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Rep. Essien Ayi, Rep. John Owan Enoh and Rep. Bassey Eko Ewa among others.
Okon assured Otu that he knows party provisions and the constitution which allows any incumbent and every aspirant “to test his or her popularity in the field.”
He commended Senator Otu’s numerous empowerment programme for the down trodden and acknowledged that it gladdens his mind because Otu had earlier said that he was at the state secretariat to consult the party leadership over his intention to go back to the senate.
He said that he was persuaded by his constituency that he is ready to serve again in the senate for another term.
Otu said that if elected for a second term in the senate in 2015 he would be serving for the last time,
He said: “ My tenure has been very focused, people oriented and accommodating and geared towards the emancipation of people from harsh economic situations.
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