story by crossriverwatch admin.
To some followers of Cross River State politics, the race for the 2015 governorship seat in the state has already been decided; regardless of Governor Imoke’s recent statement that his successor will come from Cross River North Senatorial District.
This position is anchored on the permutations of a so-called “Lagos Accord” of 1998 signed by Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke and Gershom Bassey in Lagos. The agreement is purported to have sealed the rotation of the governorship position of Cross River State amongst the three musketeers for 24 years with each taking 8 years. Duke having finished his 8 years and Imoke almost half way into his second term, Gershom Bassey is next in the line going by the precepts of the Lagos Accord. The daunting task now for the trio is how to assuage the overwhelming mood in the state that longs for a Cross River State Governor of Northern extraction.
In a swift political move, Legor Idagbo, a former acolyte of Ben Ayade has been successfully separated from his erstwhile political boss by the Lagos Group having been promised the deputy governorship seat of the state in order to abridge Ayade’s governorship ambition in 2015.
A determined Ayade is however undaunted and has vowed to upturn the political equation of the state regardless of any accord. But the so-called “Lagos Group” is leaving nothing to chance and have moved to shut Ayade out on the floor of the Senate where he is now hardly recognized for contributions to debates since his outburst in plenary where he accused the Senate collecting fat salaries and legislating death sentences for common criminals.
But there are reports of uneasy calm in the camp of the Lagos Group. The political ambitions of the three musketeers seem to be tearing them apart. From the South, Donald Duke wants to run for the Senate to displace Prince Bassey Otu who will now settle for Governor against the interest of the Lagos Group.
In Central Senatorial District, Imoke is eyeing the Senate again after his second term with the incumbent Ndoma Egba still interested in staying longer, while House of Representatives member, John Owan Enoh is also rumoured to be interested in the Central Senatorial slot.
A source close to the Gershom Bassey family disclosed to crossriverwatch that “it was in the spirit of the Lagos Accord that Duke was supported to finish his 8 years tenure. Imoke is halfway into his own 8 years tenure and will complete it by 2015. The last beneficiary of that agreement has to take his own shot before any one contemplates changing he status quo”.
The source who spoke to crossriverwatch on the condition that he will not be named said that Sunday Abang was “smoked” out of the governorship race early in the year because of fears that he will stall the Lagos Accord by handing over to a candidate from Cross River North if he won the election. The Lagos Group considered Sunday Abang’s sudden interest in the seat as a coup intended to usurp the arrangement thereby denying Gershom Bassey his share of the state’s “cake”.
He drew our attention to how Donald Duke jettisoned Vena Ikem who was the most likely northern candidate to become governor in 2007 and went for Imoke from Central in a twist that bruised Duke and Vena’s friendship for years. He also reminded us of the curious mending of fence between Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke during the later’s second term campaign, a feat most people thought would be impossible.
Determined to successfully execute their accord, crossriverwatch gathered that the Lagos Group has shopped for a deputy governorship candidate for Gershom Bassey in 2015 in the person of Legor Idagbo, former Bekwara LGA Chairman and current Commissioner for Works in the State as a form of soft landing to compensate the northern senatorial district to wait for another 8 years pending the completion of the terms of the Lagos Accord.
This move along with the Governor’s recent statement that his successor will come from the northern senatorial district, are considered by some pundits as ploys to split the northern interest and votes at the most critical moment. Whether this will work for the good of Gershom Bassey’s ambition? Only time will tell.
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8 commentsOn Gesh: To Be or Not To Be…
I tend not to leave many remarks, but i did a few searching and wound up here Gesh: To Be or Not To Be
After painstaking analysis,,HDP describes the statement of Gov imoke saying i will hand over power to the northern zone as a fluke and meant to hoodwink the people of the zone.just the same path threaded by Duke in the contest for the ruling partys gubernatorial ticket in 2006.The political permutation for 2015 is thus;promise the northern zone power transfer,then support,encourage,fund many candidates from the zone to join the race and fight for the ruling partys ticket.its estimated that about 40 candidates will scramble for the ticket with so much violence,killings and mayhem,that the ruling party will submit that for peace to reign,they will shift interest from the zone to an anointed friend/associate.HDP raises this alarm to prepare the minds of potential aspirants from the north that the battle to reclaim our state is beyond party affiliations,affinity and loyalty.our brothers its a battle for justice equality equity fairplay and fairness.we must unite as a people to overcome.the moment is now.
You could deceive some of the people some of the time. You may not be able to deceive all the people all the time. The average Northern Cross Riverian may be poor, but not so daft to be eternally blindfolded to be perpetually enslaved in his own home. Try pushing a cripple to the wall and it wil become obvious that the taste of the pudding is in the eating. Even the mother Kite knows that there is something ominuous and sinister in the silence of the mother Duck whose ducklings are poached by the younger kites. Let the “3- Musketeers” be adequately armed with their so-called Lagos Accord. 2OI5 may still be 3 years away, but to us it is by the next bend ahead. When it finally arrives, we shall meet there at Phillipi!
Man proposes, but God disposes. Didn’t God scatter the builders of the Tower of Babel? It’s high time these guys woke up to reality, namely, that things have changed. The average person in CR South is tired of these “musketeers”, and desires a change. This is my observation. Sabotage will never end, whether from Obudu or Bekwarra, or elsewhere. We’ll therefore simply set aside the saboteur and move on despite them. In any case, we don’t delude ourselves that any candidate will get 100% votes. Even Jonathan had strong opposition in Bayelsa and Rivers.
De issue of 2015 is left 4 Cross Riverians 2 decide who comes up. De northern Cross River has been marginalised 4 2 long. If a place like Otueke in de South- South can produce a President 4 Nigeria den de North shld be given de chance 2 govern de state, whoeva dat person may be. Wait a minute, dis Lagos accord how beneficial has it been 2 Cross Riverians, do we still wait 4 dem 2 sell de remaining Cross River n pocket de moni lik they have done wit de Bakassi pple 4 hope of gettin International recognition which neva came or de Tinapa n Ranch Resort which gulp so much n cannot generate anyting 2 de state purse. Knowing dat someting has gone wrong does nt necessarily mean correcting it bt de time has come 2 address dis societal ills. Remember he who fights n run away live 2 fight anoda day. It’s time 2 stand up n fight 4 equity if we must remain one!
Ayade do not worry be brave and continue to speak up facts in the senate.The only issues you have is at home.I wish you can face fact at home.let me tell us that a wealthy person from obudu who was suppose to muscle with the 3 wise men have rather supported them financially even hosted a dinner at abuja to make sure power remains in the south come 2015 so that he can be nominated for minister and because of his experience at the petroleum corperation he might be given minister of petroleum.he bags national honour of OFR on the 17-9-2012.
Keep Gershom and Ayade side by side, Ayade is heavier, if i may ask, who is Gershom? can he publish is profile? At least Ayade before becoming a Senator had created Jobs for people no matter how small, does Gershom own even a tissue paper industry or pure water? But if Gershom is aspiring as Governor with Legor as running mate, and we are not sure of the oneness of the Northern C/R then Prince Otu should be supported to mess up Imoke and Duke. Then please what will Imoke do in the Senate? to continue sleeping.
We, the people of Cross River cannot thank crossriverwatch enough. This piece on the so-called Lagos Accord has further exposed the hypocrisy and doublespeak of some key actors in our political life. We must say no to the so-called accord which could be likened to cultism. It is worse than the infamous Okija oaths by some politicians of Anambra State origin. We must put a stop to it and this can only be achieved by a united opposition. Must we remain captives to the whims and caprices of a dubious cabal that is bent on mortgaging our collective destiny. Let those who choose to lead point out what they have done or what they are capable of doing and let the people judge. Cross River can never and should not be held captive by
three friends. Let the people decide, come 2015.
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