About three of the 17 governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State have kicked against a consensus candidacy.
An earlier scheduled state caucus meeting of the party was called off on Saturday after the committee set up to reduce the number of aspirants submitted its report.
Leader of the seven-man committee, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, said: “We carried out a very difficult assignment; an assignment to tell many not to aspire, which is very hectic to do; to do so and manage people’s political aspirations in such a way that we remain a political family, a united political family.
“It has been 48 hours of fasting, 48 hours of sleeplessness, 48 hours of conversations, unending conversations. And we are proud that despite the challenges, despite the difficulties, we have concluded on that assignment.”
Ndoma-Egba emphasised that his committee didn’t have the powers to screen. “But we have the privilege to advise. And we believe that after 48 hours of non-stop brainstorming and engagement, we have come out with this report, which is an advisory that will be useful as a roadmap in charting a course to an amicable exercise.”
The content of the report is yet to be made public, but State Chairman, Alphonsus Eba, explained that the state leadership prefers to pick the party’s candidate through a consensus option that is transparent and all engaging.
According to him, any aspirant who backs out of the consensus option will not be stopped, but must be ready to contest with the party’s choice. Eba said a meeting of governorship aspirants was held two weeks ago, and the aspirants agreed that the consensus option be given a chance, and only a single form be bought
But one of the aspirants, Senator John Owan-Enoh, countered the purported resolution of the meeting, saying he told the meeting he would only accept that if the form is purchased in his name.
Owan-Enoh argued that having been the party’s authentic flagbearer in the 2019 elections, he should be given the right of first refusal.
The Nation gathered that with the deadline for the purchase of nomination forms drawing close in less than 24 hours, three aspirants have already backed out of the consensus option and have purchased both the interest and nomination forms for the governorship race. It is expected that more aspirants would engage in the last hour rush for the purchase of governorship forms to remain in the race after the failure to get a consensus candidate.