A political pressure group, Code 888, has launched a “Back to South” Advocacy Campaign towards having the next governor of Cross River state from the Southern Senatorial District.
Speaking on Sunday in Calabar, Mr Maurice Nkong, Director General of the group, said there was a political culture in the state that rotates the governorship slot among the senatorial zones of the state.
He he said this was for the sake of Justice, fairness and equity, adding that it had become paramount that power should return to the South in 2023.
Nkong said the group which started its activities in 2016 with the slogan ‘Equity, Fairness and Justice’, had been at the forefront in advocating for fair play in the political arena of the state.
“As a generation, we stand for rotation of power. We have a political culture in Cross River and we want it to continue.
“As a group, we work through consultations and advocate for natural justice. We have done consultations and majority of our leaders are in support of our course.
“We know how to mobilise ourselves. Code 888 is a political pressure group and we are engaging our leaders in all political parties. We have already put a political party in place in case it did not go our way,” he said.
He added that former governor Donald Duke from the South was governor between 1999-2007, after which Sen. Liyel Imoke from Central took over between 2007-2015 and the present Governor from the North, Ben Ayade whose second tenure would elapse in 2023.
He maintained that it was fair and just for power to return to the south with a view to maintaining the peaceful co-existence that the state had enjoyed over the years.
On his part, the Deputy Director General representing Southern District of the group, Mr Great Ogban, urged young people from both Central and Northern Senatorial Districts of the state to support the ‘Back to South’ agenda by mobilising support toward its actualisation.
“Code 888 is a winning code in Cross River and having enjoyed this orderliness over the years, we are saying that power should return to the South come 2023,” he said.
The Deputy Director General representing Central Senatorial District of the group, Mr Eja Elemi advocated for fairness in the quest for the next governor of the state.
Another member of the group from the Northern Senatorial District, Mr Ukor Brown pledged the support of people from the North toward actualisation of the agenda. (NAN)
