Cross River Speakership: APC Stakeholders divided, as Soni Abang, Ndoma-Egba move discreetly against Bisong
By Dominic OKOH
Barley 36 hours to the inauguration of the 10th Assembly in Cross River State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders are divided over who should emerge the Speaker of the Legislative arm.
The 10th Assembly would be inaugurated on Tuesday, June 13 and it is reported that APC leadership had micro-zoned the speakership to Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency, with Rt. Hon. Hilary Bisong and Hon. Elvert Ayambem jostling for the plum seat.
While a cross section of APC stalwarts, especially from the central senatorial district, are rooting for Rt. Hon. Hilary Bisong, representing Boki II State Constituency, the likes of Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba, former Senate Leader, and Amb. Soni Abang, former PDP state chairman and Boki local government chairman, it is alleged, are queueing behind Elvert Ayambem, arguing that it would be unfair to leave Ikom out of the present political equation.
Investigations by The Beagle News revealed that the supporters of Bisong including some top members of party leadership are disposed to giving it to Hilary Bisong based on capacity and experience as well as being a ranking member.
They argue that Bisong has been very loyal and had worked assiduously for the success of the party at the central and Boki in particular and, therefore, should be compensated for his patrotism and hard work rather than fighting him from behind.
Besides, some Boki elders behind Bisong's speakership ambition maintain that Ikom has benefited for too long starting from 2015 when they had occupied almost all positions shared between Boki/Ikom federal constituency.
They, therefore, insist that there is nothing wrong if Bisong is elected Speaker of 10th Assembly because he merits it as the most ranking member since he is coming back for the third term.
But Soni Abang and Ndoma-Egba allegedly seem not to be relenting as they have been discreetly campaigning for their "boy" Elvert Ayambem, who has allegeldy plegded his loyalty to the duo.
Sources close to some of the lawmakers disclosed that Amb. Soni Abang has been disreetly putting calls across to the new legislators pleading with them to vote for Ayambem in the event that the party does not reach a consensus on who becomes the next speaker.
He is alleged to have told some of the lawmakers that the majority of Boki stakeholders are not disposed to Bisong's emergence as it would alter the zoning arrangement between Ikom and Boki.
But another source revealed that Governor Bassey Otu is not against the emergence of Bisong considering his role in the Boki politics in the last gemeral elections, but hinted that he does not want to start taking sides at this early stage, especially with regard to the speakership, and therefore he is threading softly not to ruffle some feathers.
Equally some APC leaders, who are not from central, are piqued at the way and manner the duo of Abang and Ndoma-Egba are allegedly going about pushing their interest through Ayambem's speakership.
They cautioned that it is too early in the day to try to pull strings behind the Governor, advising that they should allow the party and Otu to consult widely and arrive at a consensus before inauguration day.
Kicking against any move to scheme out Boki in the Speakership arrangement, the former Vice chairman of APC, central senatorial zone, Hon. Cletus Obun, said: "It is the turn of Boki to be crowned Speaker of the 10th Assembly and the lot has fallen on Hilary Bisong.
"Besides, Boki voted massively for APC in all elections from Presidential to House of Assembly without losing any seat. But APC lost Ikom I state constituency where the former Senate Leader comes from. So where lies the justification for the Ikom people to demand for speakership.
"I think it is high time we rewarded hardwork and party loyalty which Boki people have demonstrated in the last general election than rewarding failures as seen in Ikom."
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