CALABAR– Controversy surrounds the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, as allegations emerge that his purported endorsement by a select group in Nnam Ward is a smokescreen for his alleged plot to unseat Ikom LGA Executive Chairman, Hon. Pst. [Mrs] Mercy Nsor.
Sources claim the Speaker orchestrated the endorsement to bolster his third-term bid, despite zoning regulations supposedly barring him from seeking re-election. The move is seen as a desperate attempt to exploit Nnam Ward, the only Ward in Ikom 2 yet to have an Assembly representative.
The timing raises suspicions: less than 6 hours after news broke of Ayambem’s alleged plan to suspend Hon. Nsor to hijack LGA structures and fuel his Assembly ambitions, the youth endorsement surfaced.
Critics slam the Speaker’s alleged manipulation, citing it as proof of his self-serving motives. “This is a clear case of power play. The people of Ikom won’t be fooled,” a local leader said.
The Nnam Ward youth group’s endorsement has sparked debate, with many questioning its legitimacy. As tensions rise, the spotlight intensifies on Ayambem’s next moves even though he has again been beaten in his own game by the power brokers and leaders of Ikom LGA, who claim he has suddenly become arrogant, power drunk, and disrespectful ever since he became Speaker.
The situation underscores the challenges of political maneuvering in Cross River State, but with a wise political leader like Dist. Sen. Victor Ndoma Egba, Speaker Elvert cannot eat his cake and have it back. I think that the political journey of the Speaker is near an end.
