2023: Senator Onor wins Cross River PDP governorship primary

Sandy Onor, a senator representing the Central District of Cross River State on Thursday, picked the gubernatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general election.

Mr Onor defeated a fellow senator, Gershom Bassey, who represents the Southern District.

The winner of the primary, Mr Onor scored 236 votes, while Mr Bassey scored 175.

Another aspirant, Daniel Asuquo, who is a House of Representatives member, scored 147 votes.

Babajide Coker, chairman of the primary election committee, said 591 voters were accredited out of 594, and that 591 votes were cast.

Mr Coker added that 571 votes were valid while 20 votes were voided.

“By the powers conferred on me as chairman of the electoral committee for the gubernatorial convention in Cross River, I hereby declare Senator Sandy Onor the winner of the election.

“Having pulled the highest number of votes, he is hereby returned and elected,” he said.

Speaking on the victory, Mr Onor said God was about to do something new in Cross River. He said he would offer the state a leadership that is “different”.

“We will take the state to where it used to be, where people came and saw a clean and green environment,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that other contestants were Arthur Archibong with six votes, Nkoyo Toyo, four votes, Imah Adegoke, one vote, and Philia Henshaw, two votes.

NAN reported that the aspirant, Effiok Cobham, a former deputy governor of Cross River State, withdrew from the race a few hours before the election.

(NAN)