2023: Ndoma-Egba, others insist on power shift to Cross River South 

Former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, and an activist have insisted that the next governor of the state must come from the Cross River South senatorial district of the state.

“He is popular and perceived as humble. There is also the factor of his coming from the South. The understanding is that the governorship should go to South and we are in total support.”
 
Similarly, a social critic and human rights activist, Ekpenyong Isaiah-Isababa, berated the activities of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state desperately wanting to take power to Central Senatorial, whereas it is the turn of the South, noting that “PDP in Cross River State belongs to a faction of the PDP led by the River State Governor, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

“Have they asked Wike why he is angry with the PDP? With the closeness of Senator Sandy Onor to Wike, I am of the belief that he should have known that one of the reasons Wike is so angry with the PDP is that it is the turn of Southern Nigeria to produce the next president. The very reason Wike has refused to forgive anyone that betrayed that gentlemanly party position of rotating power between the North and South, even in PDP.

Also, the leader of Biase Local Council, Mr. Charles Eko, said: “In 1999, when former Governor Donald Duke emerged as governor, the Central Senatorial District took over with Senator Liyel Imoke as governor and now the North through the incumbent, Senator Ben Ayade, who is almost completing his eight years.

“It is of equity and fairness that the next governor must come from the South. Anything short of this is selfishness from few individuals that may lead to bad blood among the three senatorial districts in the state.”