9 Point Communiqué of Central Senatorial District Declaration in Ikom on 5th March, 2022

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1. That the forum resolved to pledge its support for President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR)’s Government and commend the giant strides recorded in all the sectors of the nation’s economy.

2. The forum appreciated His Excellency Ben. Ayade for his defection into the party and the value it has brought while also acknowledging his leadership of the State.

3. The forum congratulated the state chairman of the APC, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar and members of the state executive committee of the APC for their emergence and recent inauguration. It calls on the party leadership to please lead with fairness and inclusiveness for all party men and women irrespective of Senatorial District.

4. The Central Senatorial District remains the most competitive senatorial district within the politics of APC in Cross River State therefore, managing it to reap the maximum benefit of this quality must be guided jealously.

5. The forum calls for the opening up of the political space in the party at the state level for the overall interest of the party in order to provide for the credible emergence of candidates that will be generally acceptable to the people. Therefore, the emphasis should be on a winning strategy for the party and not a zoning strategy.

6. The forum notes that the Central Senatorial District is the only zone in the state that has not witnessed any wave of defections out of it since the governor’s entry into the APC unlike the Southern and Northern Senatorial districts. This is largely as a result of the quality of political leadership and followership as well as the strength of the party in the District, therefore the leadership of the party is called upon to do everything to support the zone.

7. The experience coming out of the recent by-elections that took place in Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo State constituency with PDP winning the two local governments of Akpabuyo and Ogoja and the APC winning one, Yala, should not be taken for granted as what this suggests going forward into the party primaries and the 2023 general elections is that the party must spare nothing to be competitive in the choice of its candidates for every elective office.

8. The Governor of Cross River State and leader of our party, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade has the greatest stake in retaining Cross River State as an APC state come 2023; together with Governor, the Central Senatorial District as the most competitive senatorial district with leaders that have made the greatest sacrifices for the survival of the party since its inception, the senatorial district has the responsibility to ensure that the party comes out victorious in the fourth coming elections.

9. The forum agreed to lead a delegation to the Governor and leader of the party to state the position of the zone.