A political support group with sympathy for the All Progressives Congress, APC Cross River gubernatorial candidate has flayed the governorship candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP over his resort to ethnicity and resort ahead of the 18th March general elections NEGROIDHAVEN can report authoritatively.
Prince Otu/Odey Support Organisation (POOSO) convened a press conference this week where they eulogised the People-First Manifesto of Ntufam (Senator) Bassey Edet Otu the guber candidate of the APC.
According to them, it was worrisome that Prof Sandy Ojang Onor of the PDP had truncated the peaceful outlook to how political campaigns were conducted in the state with his divisive politicking.
According to a statement signed by Chief Edwin Usang the Secretary of POOSO, ‘Through his People-first Manifesto, Sen. Otu has highlighted his priority areas to include the economy, job creation, industrialization, infrastructure, human capital development, health, education, tourism and general good governance.
‘But unfortunately, for the PDP Governorship Candidate, Sen. Sandy Onor, his focus has been to initiate and project desperate measures to the campaigns. He was first in the court to see how to bring Sen. Prince Otu down over spurious claims.
‘Having failed in that attempt, he now resorts to playing the ethnic card and recently the violence option, as the last straw to cling on for his existence in the Governorship race. Thankfully, while this lasted, the popularity index of Sen. Prince Bassey Otu surges.’
POOSO demonstrated how misrepresented fact against the Efik of Southern Senatorial District of the state. He said that, ‘Prof. Sandy Onor was quoted as saying somewhere for instance, that the Southern Senatorial District has produced all the Vice Chancellors in the University of Calabar. But he forgets that two of those VCs are/were of Ejagham extractions; that is Late Prof. Charles Effiong and Late Prof. Bassey Asuquo, just as Prof. Kelvin Etta from the Central Senatorial District is also of Ejagham.
‘Seeds of discord and hatred which Sen. Onor’s style of politics portrays have never led any society to sustainable peace and development but of backwardness, underdevelopment and the attendant disintegration.
‘Historically speaking, until Sen. Onor’s emergence as PDP Governorship Candidate and his campaign activities in the state, the Ejagham and the Efik people have had no conscious consideration of tribal or ethnic divide between them. They live together as brothers and sisters and have close affinity with one another. In fact, they agree socially and culturally through marriages, traditions etc.’
POOSO said it subscribed to the People-first Manifesto of Sen. Otu has because of its priority for economy, job creation, industrialisation, infrastructure, human capital development, health, education, tourism and general good governance.
