2023: Why Hon. Daniel Asuquo didn’t walk out of C’River Southern Community Elders Forum

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Disclosures have emerged bothering on why Rt. Hon. Daniel ‘Dansuki’ Asuquo a frontline gubernatorial aspirant of opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Cross River sat through in the Monday meeting which reportedly produced a consensus governorship aspirant from Cross River South Senatorial District NEGROIDHAVEN has confirmed.

Insights into what really transpired at the 7PM Sunday to 2AM Monday meeting of the Cross River Southern Community Elders Forum has come to the fore and suggests that Rt. Hon. Asuquo was not altogether comfortable with the proceedings at the seven hours meeting.

Mr. Yibala ‘Dombra’ Inyang the Director General of With God all Things are Possible Campaign Group who explained that meetings of consensus do not usually end in a voting process observed that they were protests by some participants of the Cross River Southern Community Elders Forum why there was no even representation of the seven local government areas which constitute the south. Again, his principal Dansuki sat through, though unwittingly, because of his great respect for the elderstatesmen present at the meeting.

He made this revelation on Monday in Calabar the state capital metropolis when he addressed a press conference at the Daniel E. Asuquo Campaign office. He said that ‘Meeting of consensus sometimes does not necessarily end in voting. He has been invited severally and they have not arrived at consensus before now.

Dombra in Calabar yesterday addressing the press

‘And when they went there yesterday, he met elderstatesmen, people he respects so much. A few of them raised eyebrow saying why is this representation skwed towards one ethnic group, there is nobody from Akamkpa, is Akamkpa not in the South? Biase had only one or two persons. Whereas, Calabar South had ten persons.

“So, he saw it as a joke having read what consensus means in PDP, in the Electoral Act and party guidelines. He knew they were all just joking. But, for the respect he has for the elderstatesmen instead… It’s not that he participated willingly. He was just telling them ‘having seen that they were interested in harmonising the South but their approach wasn’t proper, while they were doing what they were doing they know of course that it will not yield anything’. That’s why he had to sit there.

Cross River Southern Community Elders Forum chaired by Mr. Donald Duke

In a disclaimer signed by him titled ‘We Are Not Part Of Any Consensus Arrangement’ his statement read in part,

‘…one would have expected that a meeting of a socio-cultural group under the aegis of Cross River Southern Community Elders’ Forum would have restricted their scope of operation to specifics rather than stray into contentious areas which do not fall under their purview. Or how would one describe a meeting of the said group called at the instance of His Excellency, Mr. Donald Duke, and dominated by a sectional ethnic interest, to address political issues bordering on a multiplicity of aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party if not to undermine the interest and insult the sensibilities of the good people of Cross River State who deserve the right to enthrone a candidate of their choice?

‘So, the wild goose chase embarked upon by this infamous socio-cultural group comprised of members of different but notable political parties, goofed in attempting to impose a candidate on our great party, the PDP.

‘While we remain patriotic community members and resolute in blaizing the trail to deliver on people-oriented policies and programmes, we dissociate ourselves from this flagrant incursion into our party’s transparent democratic processes. The relevant provision of the PDP constitution, the party primary guidelines for electing candidates, the 2021 Electoral Act and other extant laws, severally and collectively frown at the imposition of candidates through any guise.’