By Patrick Obia
The Ejagham Federation has warned against disintegration and disunity amongst the Ejagham Nation, pledging total support for the ‘Back-to-South’ clamor for the office of the Cross River State Governor.
This was contained in a communique issued by the Federation in a press conference held in Calabar, the State capital on Wednesday, where it said no group or political party should use the Ejagham speaking to create chaos for self-political gains.
The communique signed and read by the Convener, Ntufam Hilliard Etagbor said the ferocity and tenacity with which the Ejagham ethnic argument is being pursued in the 2023 gubernatorial elections if left unchecked, is capable of presenting the peaceful and friendly dispositions of the Ejagham people in ways undeserving by other ethnic groups.
The group noted that the 2023 governorship election is not the last opportunity Ejagham people have to vie for the position of governor, and with its presence in the Central and North as well, a clear opportunity will certainly present itself in no distant future.
The Federation recommended that: “Because it is unreasonable and ultimately self-destructive for Ejagham people to go against the tide and lose out in the distribution of democratic dividends in the coming dispensation, we support totally the legitimate Back-to-South clamor by Governor Ben Ayade as well as the generality of Cross Riverians and the candidacy of Sen. Bassey Otu for election as Governor of Cross River State.
“All Ejagham sons and daughters should purge themselves of the sentiments of injustice in our desire to produce a governor in the State, as no ethnic groups are capable of that. Rather, we urge ourselves to begin by building vìable bridges across the length and breadth of the Ejagham Federation, awaken consciousness, and enter into genuine negotiations with other ethnic groups, as a way of life rather than invoking Ejagham sentiments on the eve of every gubernatorial election.”
Earlier, the former Senate Leader, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba after journeying memory lane of the Ejagham Federation, averred that it is not the first time Ejagham Nation is been used for politics, asserting that, if there should be any Ejagham person for governor, it should be an Ejagham man from the South because it is the turn of the South.
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