Stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ikom ll State Constituency in Cross River State have called on the State Working Committee of the party to reject any third-term bid for the State House of Assembly seat in Ikom ll currently occupied by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem.

The placards bearing party faithful, who stormed the state party secretariat in Calabar in their numbers to present their position, said there had been a gentlemen’s agreement among the four wards that make up Ikom ll that any sitting Assembly member would serve only two terms until all four wards had taken their turn.

Speaking on behalf of the stalwarts, the State Commissioner for Human Capital and Entrepreneurial Development, Hon. Kingsley Egumi, said the people of Ikom ll reached an agreement in 2003 to zone the House of Assembly seat rotationally for two terms each among the four wards of the constituency: Abanyom, Nde, Nnam, and Nta-Nselle.

This rotational zoning, according to Egumi, has been enjoyed by Abanyom, Nta-Nselle, and currently Nde, which is serving its second term with Speaker Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem seeking a third term.

“Abanyom and Nta-Nselle wards have each produced two members — Hon. Joseph Nsabe Ndoma and Simon Nkoro — who both served two terms between 2003 and 2019,” he said.

“Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem of Nde ward assumed office in 2019 and is currently serving his second term in line with the agreement.

“It is on that note that we are saying that in 2027, the Assembly seat should move from Nde to Nnam ward, which should also serve its two terms like the others,” Egumi stated.

He warned that any deviation from the agreement, which has brought stability, equality, and unity, would lead to voter apathy and disrupt the zoning arrangement.

Also stressing the need to uphold the zoning formula, former Ikom Local Government Council Chairman and APC stalwart in Constituency ll, Dr. Tony Ngban, said the arrangement in place since 2003 had fostered peaceful coexistence, which he described as “live and let live.”

He said if there was any need to alter the zoning formula, it should only be after Nnam ward had completed its two terms of eight years, like every other ward in Constituency ll. This, he said, was the position of the stakeholders in Constituency ll.

Responding, the State Party Chairman, Hon. Chris Etta, assured the delegation that the State Working Committee had heard their appeal and would consider the matter to reach a resolution favourable to the party.

Etta added that the committee takes zoning seriously and would also work with the report of the Central Senatorial District Screening Committee. (The Guardian)