Ethnicity won’t work in C’River, traditional ruler says

January 25, 2023

The paramount ruler of Bakassi, in Cross River State, Okon Edet, says capacity to deliver, rather than ethnicity, will be the key factor in the decision of who to entrust with the governance of the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The traditional ruler, who was reacting to the ‘Back-To-South’ campaign, stated this on Tuesday when he received the campaign team of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Sandy Onor.

Edet, who said that traditional rulers were living in squalor, added that the people had taken enough of failed promises from politicians in the state.

He said that as custodians of tradition and culture in their localities, in addition to being the closest to the people, traditional rulers could decide the fate of any politician.

“The election of 2023 is not going to be about party, we are going to vote individuals and competence.

“I am not a tribalist, I fight ethnicity. We need the best to come and do the work.

“Nobody needs stories anymore. We have seen all the bad and the good. We know who would deliver the state.

“When you win and see something wrong please correct it. We would not accept neglect any longer. Look into our welfare because we are passing through hell,” the monarch said.

Earlier, the PDP governorship candidate said that his government will usher in transparency and accountability that had been lacking in the state for the past seven years.

“We need a change and new leadership that is clear headed, a new Cross River State that would bring in accountability and drive good governance,” Onor stated.

NAN reports that ‘Back-To-South’ is a campaign strategy that power should return to the South senatorial district of the state.

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