A Calabar-based cleric, Archbishop Josef Bassey, has said former Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade owes his second term in office to political support from the Southern Senatorial District.
Bassey said Ayade’s re-election was not guaranteed, noting that political forces had sought to prevent him from securing a second term. He argued that leaders and stakeholders from the Southern District intervened to ensure Ayade completed eight years in office.
The cleric made the remarks on Saturday during an end-of-year media interaction in Calabar, insisting that power did not automatically return to the South but was earned through political sacrifice.
He rejected claims that Ayade “handed over” power to the Southern District, saying the zone deliberately supported his re-election to preserve the state’s zoning arrangement and protect its future political interests.
“Without the intervention of leaders from the Southern Senatorial District, Ayade would likely have been a one-term governor,” Bassey said. “He owes the South a thank you for not allowing his tenure to end after one term.”
According to Bassey, Southern leaders backed Ayade’s second term on the understanding that governorship power would rotate back to the district afterward.
He also praised the administration of Governor Bassey Otu, describing it as inclusive and balanced, and said the Northern Senatorial District had recorded significant benefits under the current government.
“In just two years, Governor Otu has done more for the North than some administrations did in eight years,” he said, citing comments attributed to Northern leaders, including Dr Julius Okputu.
Bassey urged political actors to avoid actions that could heighten political tension, particularly at the end of the year, calling for reflection rather than attempts to rewrite political history.
He appealed for unity, urging politicians to place the collective interest of Cross River State above personal ambition.