09/12/2024
Dear Mr. Austine Ibok,
Re: 2027 – A Wake-Up Call for True Leadership and Change in Cross River State
I came across an article yesterday titled as above, purportedly written by you. Since I haven't received a disclaimer or clarification from you, I feel compelled to respond.
Firstly, Ete Austine, we haven’t spoken in 2 years. The last I knew, you were the Director General of Ben Akak's gubernatorial campaign team under the APC. I didn't know that a metamorphosis had occurred since then—please pardon my ignorance.
Having read your article, I feel it is my duty, as an elder, to offer you and other emerging leaders some perspective. As the saying goes, “Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events often mirror those of preceding times.”
What we’re seeing today is not new. Former Governor Ayade faced similar, if not worse, attacks from his kinsmen barely two years into his tenure. By 2017, some individuals came to me and proposed aligning with the South to “kick him out” after his first term. They claimed they didn’t even want another fellow Northerner and preferred the South to provide a candidate. That was partly what changed the trajectory of the 7-Alive movement as some of us in the South felt zoning ensured equity in the long run, and it was wrong to truncate the North's turn. That rejection, even by his own people, likely influenced some of the decisions Ayade made, which ultimately defined his legacy.
Let us not repeat the same mistakes.
In 2022, thirteen individuals from the South, including four you mentioned, indicated their desire to contest for the governorship from the Southern Senatorial District within the APC. Those of us aspirants who believed in zoning and rotation came together and pledged to support whoever among us emerged as the party’s flagbearer.
If I was going to renege on that promise, it would have been in August 2022 when three other political parties offered me their gubernatorial tickets, after Prince Otu emerged as the APC candidate, and court cases were all over the place. I declined for two reasons:
1. I believed that splitting the South’s votes would have benefited those opposed to zoning—a scenario that had played out in the PDP primaries, leading to a candidate from the Central Senatorial District.
2. More importantly, I had given my word, and my word as an Obong Ekpe, is my bond. I would not betray that principle then, nor will I do so now.
You must be aware of our subsequent efforts to unite the aspirants, some of who were aggrieved, rally support across the state, and sustain that momentum even after the elections. Supporting and encouraging the governor to deliver on his mandate is not a one-off effort that ended with the election—it’s an ongoing responsibility.
In your write-up, you oddly emphasized the importance of zoning despite previously vehemently opposing it, both in words and actions.
Ete Austine, no one is perfect, and omniscience is on the "exclusive list" of the Almighty. Therefore, criticism of government is not only a right but a duty. However, there’s a fine line between constructive and destructive criticism.
You mentioned being close to the governor in one of your recent articles. If so, surely you must have had back channels for vital communications. If those channels are now unavailable, you can approach the elders you referenced and present your concerns. But your concerns must be specific, well-researched, and accompanied by actionable suggestions—not vague criticisms, or generalizations.
Calling for a leadership change in 2027, just 18 months into the current governor’s tenure, is premature and counterproductive. Such calls can create unnecessary distractions, causing career political jobbers to hatch real or imagined plots that might destabilize the government. If that was your plan then it is dead on arrival.
Why do you think the Central Senatorial District, which supported the Governor in 2023, despite having one of their sons in the race, will believe anyone from the South who says he will stay for only one term?
Our state is in dire straits and we need to keep our leaders focused on administration and governance, not political scheming. Let us learn from the past and avoid repeating mistakes.
As a student of power dynamics in Nigeria, you should understand that genuine change for the collective good requires more of thoughtful and strategic cooperation, rather than confrontation. Acting as a provocateur and trying to use your elders as pawns in political maneuvers, in such a cavalier manner, is un-African.
I expect your unreserved apology within seven days, accompanied by a good bottle of gin and a goat for each elder you mentioned. This gesture of penitence will help pacify the ancestors, mitigate retribution and ensure harmony.
To my fellow elders referenced in the article, and who were not aware of its contents: this indeed is a wake-up call, but not in the manner Ete Austine envisioned. Let us stay alert, double our efforts to give advice to government, engage our supporters, and ensure no one uses this as an excuse to heat up the polity.
Thank you, and compliments of the season.
Arc Bassey E Ndem
