CRS GUBER 2023: Zoning or Merit
Emmanuel Alfred
Much Ado has been made about the format by which the next Governor of Cross River State has to emerge and there has been meetings and counter meetings by stakeholders of different Senatorial Districts in the State that one begins to wonder how we got into this state of confusion.
The State has three senatorial districts: Northern, Central and Southern. These three has taken their turns in the office with Donald Duke from the Southern Senatorial District, Sen Liyel Imoke from the Central Senatorial District and the incumbent, His Excellency, Sen Prof Ben Ayade from the Northern Senatorial District.
Recall that during the campaign for the second term in 2019, Ayade himself met with the leaders or Stakeholders of the Southern Senatorial District soliciting for votes that will get him into office and in exchange he will return power back to the South at the expiration of his tenure in 2023.
There has been clamour about the zoning system being used at the moment in determining who the next Governor is going to be given that every district has had their ‘share of power’.
So how did we come about this issue of zoning versus merit? Let’s start by defining democracy using the popular line: ‘Democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people’. Simply put, it is a system of government where people decide who will represent them in any position available.
Conversely, democracy is about numbers- you can pull these numbers through your ideas, ethnicity or religious affiliation. Candidates go and try their popularity at the polls using the afforementioned venues and the one who gets the highest vote wins. Simple right?
Permit me to say that the system of merit has it’s own downside. Yeah, before you criticize me just pay attention. Democracy in Africa is completely different from the ones we learnt in books or the one used in the United States of America. The reason is that we are a very cultural people hence are very attached to our tribe, religion or language.
Some tribes are more populated than the rest therefore making it difficult for the less popular ones to compete at the polls. This thought process brought about the issue of zoning and many people argue that this system allows everyone to benefit as all that needs to happen is an agreement to be reached for each Area, Zone or Senatorial District to produce some candidates and everyone should pick from that particular group of candidates.
The Southern Senatorial District haven’t produced a Governor since 2007 which will make it sixteen years come 2023 and the Governor feels the rotational system has to be upheld for the purpose of equity, justice and fairness.
It hasn’t stopped the agitations from the other quarters as they’re boldly saying the merit system should be used instead but others are also saying the zoning formula has made everyone produce a Governor, so why Change it now? It is of importance to add that the merit system could be used to start a new political cycle in the State.
No matter what happens, Sen Ayade has a lot on his hands as far as who his successor is going to be but for a man who left the People’s Democratic Party, a Party that he contested and won all his elections and a Party that has been the dominant Party in the State, we should expect anything from him.
