2011: Candidates battle for C’River senatorial seats
By Mike Odiegwu, Published: Sunday, 14 Mar 2010

The silence that has hitherto enveloped political activities in Cross River State is gradually giving

way for a robust political contest. As the 2011 election approaches, the state appears to be

warming up for a titanic political battle at all fronts. But uncertainties still surround the highest and juiciest electoral position in the state (the governorship election) because of the rerun election that returned the Peoples Democratic Party standard bearer, Mr. Liyel Imoke, as the Governor of the state in August 2008.

The Supreme Court had in July 2008 annulled Imoke‘s election and ordered a fresh poll. After the tensed re-election, Imoke defeated all the opposing candidates and was again declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission. While the development has made some political analysts to claim that Imoke is entitled to a fresh tenure that will end in 2012 drawing precedence from the apex court rulings in Anambra and Rivers states election cases, others have argued that his tenure will elapse in 2011 as the political and legal circumstances that led to the rerun election in the state were not applicable. But, the matter has been left for the court to interpret.

Despite what the court‘s decision will eventually become, another big issue remains that many aspirants are lining up to slug it out with incumbents of other political positions that will be declared vacant in 2011. All eyes and hive of activities appear to be on the state‘s positions in the National Assembly. In fact, for now, political rumbling is centered on the state‘s three senatorial slots and all the aspirants are members of the Peoples Democratic Party. But, there have been signs that the road to clinching any of the senatorial seats will be rough and bumpy for all the aspirants that have indicated interests in the Northern, Southern and Central Senatorial Districts.

First, they have to contend with the arguments of continuity by the incumbents who are warming up to return to their positions. The incumbent senators in the state appear to have been beaten by the same fly. They have suddenly begun to sing the same song and to use the American system that has produced many outstanding long serving senators as an example. They are simply saying that the reason why they want to return to their positions in 2011 is that ”senatorial jobs get better with age and experience”. Though analysts have frowned on the argument describing it as a ploy to eclipse the increasing clamour for political rotation which has been the arrangement in the PDP, the senators have continued to insist that ‘continuity‘ is the best practice.

For example, the Deputy Senate Leader, Mr. Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), who is representing the Central Senatorial District, has not failed to use every opportunity to discuss the issue of continuity. He has equated good representation on continuity, stressing that incumbent lawmakers should be returned in 2011 to enable them to consolidate on their gains. Without mincing words, the Senator, had called on Nigerians to discountenance the practice of changing their lawmakers in every election.

But, another politician, Chief Patrick Iwara, has faulted Ndoma-Egba‘s argument describing it as unobtainable.

He said: ”The problem with Nigeria is that nobody ever wants to leave power once he takes power. We are all aware of the third term saga in Nigeria and we all vowed that third term was not an issue for Nigerians to swallow. We are a developing society and the only thing that would bring development is change.”

Again, other stakeholders argue that Ndoma-Egba is not going to find the next election in the zone easy, especially with the coming on board of Iwara in the race. According to them, despite Iwara having the financial and political clouts to effectively challenge the Deputy Senate Leader, the rotational arrangement in PDP also favours the former. The Central Senatorial District comprised the old Ikom and Obubra local government areas.

Ndoma-Egba who has been in the senate since 2003 hails from old Ikom. But the old Obubra wants a taste of the seat and Iwara who is from Yakur in old Obubra appears to be the favoured one. He has shown signs of readiness to face any form of political competition. Apart from registering as a member of the PDP, Iwara has already renovated a secretariat for his campaign organisation. He said: ”I have made up my mind to challenge Ndoma-Egba on a level playing field and there is no going back.”

As Iwara and Ndoma-Egba are stirring up a titanic political battle in the zone, as it were, a similar thing is brewing in the Northern Senatorial District of the state. Though, the incumbent senator, Mr. Grag Ngagi, has remained silent on re-election, there are strong indications that he may bow out in 2011 to cater for his health and probably sit back as a godfather. This calculation has led to the emergence of two aspirants from the district. One of them is a lawmaker representing Obudu, Obanliku and Bekwara Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Paul Adah. The other one is an academic and an environmental scientist, Prof. Ben Ayade.

While Adah, who has not openly declared his interest to move up to the senate in 2011, has built a strong political structure in the state, Ayade appears to be struggling to attain required popularity that will launch him into political limelight. His ambition to break into the right group in the PDP which Adah is already believed to be a member was evident during the burial ceremony of his 86-year old mother, the late Mrs. Beatrice Ayade.

Ayade who has not hidden his ambition to contest the senatorial election indeed turned the burial of his octogenarian mother into a test of his political popularity. He attracted such political heavyweights in the state including Imoke to his Kakum village in Obudu. Inasmuch as the politician is concerned the presence of Imoke at the event was an indication that he has joined the right clique and his ride to political power may just be unhindered.

But observers say Imoke‘s presence at the wake was in honour of the role the professor played during his (Imoke‘s) father‘s burial. They claim that Adah is politically closer to Imoke and trusted by the king-making cabal in the party. So, he may be the preferred candidate to run for the senatorial position. But Adah, simply said: ”I have not made my ambition open yet because I am still consulting.”

Apart from that, analysts also argue that Adah is more of a grass roots person than Ayade considering how he (Ayade) handled the burial. Observers have criticised the display of wealth that characterised the burial, saying the professor was insensitive to the plight of the downtrodden around him. The long convoy of his rich business associates that accompanied the corpse and the expensive houses that sprang up overnight further distanced Ayade from the people he is warming up to represent.

Observers noted while greater attention was paid to the rich, the poor who had attended the burial thinking that manner would fall from heaven for them to pick were all disappointed as they went home hungrier than they came. But, it is believed that the multi-million naira burial was a prize he paid to impress the cabal and to prove how popular he is in the state. However, for Ayade to be a force to reckon with in the senatorial race, analysts further posit that he needs to reappraise his relationship with people at the grass roots whose votes he needs to actualise his ambition.

But Ayade who believes he has what it takes to win PDP‘s ticket in the zone said, ”Obudu people have been marginalised politically apart from the House of Representatives slot that they are occupying. We have not produced a senator or a deputy governor. I believe it is our time to produce a senator and I believe I am the right candidate for the position. I have all it takes as a strong supporter of the PDP to actualise this.”

As Ayade is making frantic efforts to be a political force to reckon with in the Northern Senatorial District, Senator Ewa Henshaw is battling to save his Southern senatorial seat in the forthcoming poll. He has started visiting home regularly to mend fences with his constituents and drum up support for a third tenure in the senate. Just recently, he promised to inaugurate a N300m water project he attracted to the constituency.

But, observers believe that the senator‘s popularity has waned over the years because of the perception among his people that he is tightfisted. Besides, he is faced with the same rotational clamour like Ndoma-Egba. His zone is made up of Akamkpa/Biase and Calabar/Odukpani. While Henshaw is from Calabar/Odukpani, the people of Akamkpa/Biase are agitating for a shot at the senate. This has also thrown up other contenders from the area including Mr. Jimmy Aniyom, an erstwhile Chief of Staff to former Governor Donald Duke and a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Mrs. Rose Oko.

By all indications, the PDP in the state has a great task of harmonising all these divergent interests and providing a level playing field for an emerging political muscle flexing within its fold.