APC Moves to Reduce Number of Guber Aspirants in C’River

Bassey Inyang in Calabar

The Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has announced a seven-man Ad-Hoc Committee to screen governorship aspirants on its platform as the party works towards producing a consensus governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections.

Making the announcement  yesterday  in Calabar, the APC, through a press release entitled, “2023 Governorship Aspirants: Cross River APC Sets UP 7-man Ad-Hoc Committee,” signed by the state Publicity Secretary, Erasmus Ekpang, said a former Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, would serve as chairman of the committee while Senator Florence Ita-Giwa would serve as the committee’s secretary.

The announcement also mentioned a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke and four others as members of the committee.

The press release read in part: “As a follow-up to the commitment of our great party towards achieving an all-inclusive, transparent, fair and democratic process that will lead to the emergence of an acceptable governorship candidate of our party and strengthened by the resolution of all the governorship aspirants in its meeting of 26th April, 2022 wherein they mandated the party to purchase only one nomination form and drive a transparent process at arriving at victory for the party, the state chairman has approved the constitution of a special Ad-hoc Committee to interface with all aspirants for the office of governor and prune down the number in each Senatorial district to two persons. Members of the Committee are as follows: Sen. Victor Ndoma Egba-  Chairman; High Chief Edem Duke-  Member; Mr. Eddy Achi- Member; Elder Bolaji Anani, Member; Mr. Odey Ochicha, Member;Prince Ebuta Ayuk, Member; Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, Secretary.”

The party  stated that “the committee will be inaugurated on Wednesday by 4:00pm, and will commence its  meeting immediately after inauguration with all aspirants who are expected to present themselves with relevant credentials and evidence of up to date financial membership of the party in tandem with Article 9. 3 of the party’s 2022 constitution.”

 “The committee is expected to submit its report by 12:00 noon on Friday.”

The  party added  the  State Caucus meeting  will hold on Saturday by 7:00pm at Perigrino Hall, Governor’s Lodge, to be attended by only  State Caucus members as stipulated in Article 12. 10 of the March 2022 amended Constitution of the Party.

The party urged all the governorship aspirants on its platform to continue their consultations, and assured them of provision of equal opportunities and level playing ground as they pursue their governorship ambition.

So far, the governorship aspirants of the APC in the state include: business mogul, and former Managing Director of Tinapa, Architect Bassey Ndem; former state commissioner for finance, Mr. Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr.; Senate Bassey Otu; Senator John Eno-Owan; Mr. Edem Ekong, a lawyer; a former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Orok Duke;  former Cross River representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Sylvester Nsa; Chief Chris Agara, a lawyer; and Engineer Nsa Ekpenyong.