CRS PFN endorses PDP Governorship Candidate, Sandy Onor, for March 11 polls

By Sixtus Uket (Calabar)

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Cross River State Chapter, has unanimously endorsed the governorship candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Senator Sandy Ojang Onor, as their preferred candidate ahead of the March 11 Governorship Election in the State.

The State Chairman of PFN, Dr. Lawrence Ekwok stated this while addressing journalists at the Assemblies of God Church, Diamond Hills Calabar, the State capital, Monday.

Dr. Ekwok said the endorsement was after a long, tedious and painstaking session.

He explained that they arrived at the decision after a due diligence process.

“The umbrella body, after agreeing to take active part in the political leadership in the state especially the governorship election, a strategic committee made up of 12 members drawn from among the highest policy making organ of the fellowship i.e. the State Advisory Council and the representative of Women and Children, one each was mandated to interrogate and investigate the character and manifestos of the candidates and recommend same to the fellowship.

“The strategic committee met five times and interviewed the candidates of the APC, PDP and PRP, after they were assessed, the first among them to be assessed was the PDP candidate, Senator Sandy Ojang Onor, after that, the APC candidate, Prince Bassey Edet Otu was drilled and allowed to go.

“The next day was PRP Candidate, Pastor Usani U. Usani. The three key governorship candidates who were interviewed and assessed based on their performance were later scored.

“Out of the 12 committee members, eleven voted for the candidate of PDP and that he should be endorsed and supported,” the State PFN Chairman stated.

Dr. Ekwok further noted that, in order not to keep anyone in doubt, inputs of leaders at the local government level in the three Senatorial Districts were gotten.

“Thereafter the church went to the three Senatorial Districts and presented the three Frontline candidates and they voted for Prof Senator Sandy Ojang Onor again for the governorship.

“Out of the 429 officials that participated in the voting, 260 voted for Sandy to be endorsed as the preferred governorship candidate, APC candidate got 114 votes, while the PRP Candidate scored 47 votes,” he said.

According to him,51 persons made up of the State Administrative Council (SAC), State Executive Council (SEC) and all Local Government Coordinators, who were in the meeting resolved that the recommendation of the strategic committee and the three Senatorial Districts be adopted, resulting to a formal and official motion for the candidacy of Sandy Onor to be endorsed for the Governorship position in the state.

“It was the collective decision of the Fellowship. Nobody influenced the decision of the PFN Cross River State,” he stated.

The PFN chairman also cleared the air on whether their decision was influenced by any spiritual advice, stating that, as Cross Riverians, they were interested in good governance, and they are actively involved in who would rule the state as governor.

The Cross River State Chairman of PFN, Dr. Lawrence Ekwok (standing), addressing the journalists