The Cross River State Consultative Forum (CRSCF) has said it will work towards institutionalising a process for succession to public offices in the state, insisting that the determination of future political leadership should not be left solely to the discretion of a sitting governor.
The Chairman of the forum, Eyo Nsa Ekpo, stated this on Saturday during the inaugural meeting of the Elders’ Advisory Council and the State Executive Council of the CRSCF in Calabar.
Ekpo said the forum was established not only to support the present administration but also to provide a platform through which the state’s political and professional elite could collectively interrogate its developmental challenges and chart a sustainable course for the future.
He said one of the core objectives of the forum was to “lay solid foundation for proper succession to public office” by bringing together what he described as the “best and brightest minds” in Cross River to identify and position competent individuals for leadership.
According to him, succession in public office should not be treated as the exclusive responsibility of a sitting governor, but should involve broader consultation among stakeholders who have the interest of the state at heart.
“By bringing together the best and brightest minds that Cross River has to offer, we aim to institutionalise a process where the most competent and the most capable individuals are identified and positioned for leadership,” Ekpo said.
He added that the arrangement was intended to ensure continuity of relationships among the state’s political and professional elite and promote a seamless transition in leadership.
Ekpo said the forum believed that a structured succession process would help Cross River avoid disruptions associated with changes in political administration and enable the state to build on existing policies and development initiatives.
He linked the succession agenda to another major objective of the forum, which is to change what he described as the state’s longstanding developmental pattern in which incoming administrations abandon projects initiated by their predecessors and commence new ones.
“For too long, we have witnessed a disturbing cycle. A new governor takes over. He jettisons and abandons projects initiated by his predecessor and starts afresh, wasting resources of the state and in the process setting the state backwards,” he said.
The CRSCF chairman argued that viable projects and policies should be sustained across administrations, irrespective of the political circumstances under which they were initiated.
He said the forum would therefore advocate continuity in governance and encourage future administrations to build on projects and programmes that were already delivering value rather than constantly starting afresh.
Ekpo further explained that the CRSCF evolved from the Cross River South Consultative Forum, which was established in 2023, but had subsequently expanded its vision and membership to cover the entire state.
He said the expanded forum was committed to placing Cross River in its “proper perspective” and supporting the state government through constructive engagement, citizen engagement, mass mobilisation and feedback mechanisms.
The forum’s Elders’ Advisory Council, according to him, brings together former governors, former senators, former members of the House of Representatives, former ministers and other distinguished Cross Riverians drawn from the three senatorial districts.
Ekpo expressed confidence that the experience of the elders and other members of the forum would provide a strong institutional foundation for shaping the state’s political and developmental future.
He, however, clarified that the forum was not established to take over the responsibilities of the ruling All Progressives Congress or the campaign council expected to be constituted ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the forum’s role would be complementary, stressing that it would provide strategic direction, mobilisation and advice while allowing the party and campaign structures to perform their constitutional and political responsibilities.
Ekpo urged members of the Elders’ Advisory Council and the Executive Committee to commit themselves to what he described as the collective task of building a more united and prosperous Cross River.
He said the forum’s ultimate objective was to ensure that Cross River moved beyond the pursuit of electoral victories to a system of governance capable of sustaining development from one administration to another.
The inaugural meeting brought together political leaders, members of the National and State Assemblies, local government chairmen and officials, candidates, members of the CRSCF and other stakeholders from across the state.
