Sen. Sandy Onor, Senator Representing the Central Senatorial District of Cross River, on Monday disclosed that Cross River has never had zoning as a tradition in its politics.

Sen. Onor made the statement during a press briefing at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Calabar.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the issue of zoning has been quite controversial in the state as some are of the opinion that power should return to the south after going round the three senatorial district.

He said in the 1999 governorship election, there were candidates from the Southern and Northern Senatorial District of the state but the south won.

He maintained that in 2007, candidates from the Central and Northern Senatorial District contested and the Central won, adding that it became inevitable that in 2015 the position was left for the North.

“In the forthcoming election, whoever is the best candidate, the votes will show; nobody made the Southern Senatorial District the first born of Cross River politics.

“Today, I want to be governor of this state that I have given so much to and some people are hiding under the label of geography to spew ethnicity.

“This is a beautiful state, our people share commonalities that have deep historical roots, so, we must protect our people from geo-ethnic division,” he said.

Speaking further, the senator said he had heard all forms of stories that he was being sponsored by Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers.

He said every governor that has emerged in Cross River had had some form of support from outside, his case was not peculiar.

“If you want to be a governor, you must have friends across the state and at the national and if you want to be the president, you must have some international links and contacts.

“Every politician contesting one position or the other in the 2023 has support; Wike has put his resources maximally in the survival of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and I am very proud of him,” he declared.