RICHARD NDOMA captures the political mix that aided Governor Ayade’s victory in the just concluded governorship election in Cross River State
One of those individuals celebrating over election his victory is Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, who was announced yesterday by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) as winner of the contest. By that announcement, Ayade is going to have another opportunity to manage the affairs of the state for the next four years having exhausted the first four years of his tenure before seeking re-election for another four-year term.
Among the reasons which gave Ayade an edge over his political opponents from the rival parties of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the All Progressives Congress (APC was his massive endorsement by support groups, which played a vital role his re-election after a fierce battle.
The claim by Ayade that he would industrialize the state also became an instrumental to the re-election of the governor who exuded much confidence that he was going to beat all hurdles to victory as far as politics is concerned, stating that his score card is rich enough to speak for him.
Perhaps this accounts for the reason why he kept saying that he had no opposition to contend with and that he was going to sweep the polls when the reckoning comes, given the numerous projects spread across the three senatorial districts of the state. Worthy to be mentioned is the garment factory, the rice city project, the ultra modern rice processing factory and the ultra modern cocoa processing factory which he said were dear to his heart, claiming that the projects were going to take over 3,000 jobs seekers off the streets of the state.
Ayade, who polled 381,484 votes to defeat then APC candidate, who polled 131,161 had in one of the interactions with mediamen at the Governor’s office, prior to kick-off of campaigns boasted that as far as governorship ticket was concerned he had no political opponent to contest with. This came to manifestation when INEC declared him winner for the 2019 gubernatorial contest.
Other reasons why the Cross River State Governor coasted to victory included the tartared nature of the APC, particularly in the central senatorial district of the state where two political heavy weights, minister of Niger Delta Affair, Pastor Usani Usani and the senator representing Cross River Central Senatorial District Senator John Owan Enoh got on each other’s throat with either of the two gladiators laying claim that it was his faction that produced the right candidates to own the ticket for governorship position.
A situation where both members of the APC who were supposed to work as one formidable entity resorted to litigation isn’t good for the party.
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The internal wrangling helped in putting the APC not in a proper position but in disarray. A situation where two political heavy weights, the minister for Niger Delta Affairs and his former political ally Senator John Owan Enoh engaged in a legal tussle did the party no go but harm depleting the party into shreds.
At the epicenter of the crises between Usani Usani and Senator John Owan Enoh, it was rumored that Usani was working for Ayade so that the latter would win and hand over power to him when his tenure elapses in 2023, even though Usani has refuted the allegation.
That development weakened the party and made it cease to be cohesive, making it possible for candidate of the PDP to take advantage of such weakness and pushed their candidate to victory.
However, this discourse cannot be complete without taking into cognizance the issue of zoning which played a vital role towards the re-election of Ayade who the INEC declared as winner of the contest.
To those who hail from the northern Cross River, Ayade must complete their turn. The issue of zoning also gave room to Ayade’s re-emergence as Cross River State Governor, to led the state again for second term.
The issue of zoning the governorship position to be occupied by Crossriverians of northern extraction for a period of eight years between 2015 and 2023 a scenario which prompted crossriverians of northern extraction to speak in one voice saying that Ayade must continue their tenure.
To this end, Crossriverains of northern extraction went ahead to cast their votes in favour him, nothwitsatanding the numerous ills and allegations which opposition parties alleged that Ayade had committed in his first tenure.
One political analyst, John Ajom, who spoke to our correspondent said he is shocked that Ayade could still win in an election where several allegations and criticisms had been made against him that him including allegations of mismanagement of the resources of the state.
Ajom said, “Ordinarily, Ayade shouldn’t win, given the huge mismanagement of the state’s resources. His projects are “white elephant”, I am shocked that he won!
Again, the issue of the PDP having a strong financial muscle more than the APC in the state also helped in the emergence of Ayade as governor of the state again.
A case study is the result of senate elections particularly in the central senatorial district of Cross River State where result of Etung LGA and that of Osopom 11, Ofubongha and Yala wards in Obubra LGA and Nde wards in Ikom LGA were cancelled by organizers of the polls and INEC went ahead to announced elections results in favor of the PDP candidate instead of organizing a rerun, notwithstanding the cry from the APC that the electoral umpire has taken side with the PDP. Apart from this opposition APC also cried to what those in support of the PDP said was foul that elections in Boki
LGA was conducted without used of card readers machine. But to no avail, INEC went ahead to announce the result in favor of the PDP.
However, a political analyst MR. Bassey Obot who claimed to be an indigene of neighboring Akwa Ibom state but had been residing in Cross River State in the last 20 years who spoke in support of the PDP said that reason the PDP won in senatorial elections was that it worked very hard to achieve the victory.
