Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Cross River state chapter of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, is set to wade into the zoning arrangement in the pending northern senatorial district by-election.
Since INEC had announced a by-election for the zone following the death of Sen Dr. Rose Oko, the agitations for zoning have torn apart the five local governemnt areas of Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarra, Obudu and Obanliku that make up the old Ogaja province.
While some whan merit and kicking against any form of zoning, others insist on total zoning for equity, justice and in the spirit of brotherhood.
Worried by this ugly development, the Conference said it has become expedient to convene a final emergency meeting of all registered parties in the state to take a look at the issue of zoning in line with the peculiarity of the zone.
In a statement made available to Daily Sun dated July 25, 2020 and signed by Sunday Sunday Micheal and Castro Ezama as state chairman and publicity secretary respectively, the group stated that it is imperative that political parties waded into the contentious issue of zoning considering the significant roles parties play in an election as vehicle through which candidates emerge.
The duo, who are aides of Governor Ben Ayade, said CNPP would do everything possible to be unbiased in taking decision because of the sensitive nature of issue at stake, adding that all indices would be considered before taking a final decision.
It reads in part: “After lots of considerations, the political parties in Cross River State have met and are in the concluding stage of taking a decision on the local government to zone the northern senatorial position to.
“It is instructive to note that political parties are the only platforms through which elections are contested and as such the need to give direction in circumstances as this. This was the same model used in 2015 in zoning the office of the governor to Cross River north.
“The condition responsible for the forth coming bye-election is not what we should revel in. Yo this end, we decided to approach this elections with sobriety.
“Accordingly, the political parties in Cross River State have fixed August 3, 2020 to chose a local government area in the northern senatorial district where political parties candidates will be nominated from.
“Our decisions will be communicated in a detailed report to all registered political parties’ headquarters in Abuja.”