BY MYKE UZENDU, ABUJA
Members of the Executive Committee of the Cross River State (CRS) Southern Senatorial District of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have endorsed Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo as the replacement for the late National Woman Leader (NWL) of the party, Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe, in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
The resolution to endorse Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo was taken at a crucial meeting of the CRS Southern Senatorial District in Calabar, the state capital. It was signed by Hon. Asuquo Ekpo, State Vice Chairman, PDP South, Cross River State, the seven (7) Local Government Chapter Chairmen in the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, and seventeen (7) other Senatorial Officials.
Mrs. Nkoyo Toyo, a lawyer and human rights activist, was a former member of the House of Representatives and erstwhile Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti.
The Southern Senatorial District of the party in its resolution, said,
“As campaigns intensify in what is purely a matter for appointment and replacement, the people of the Southern Senatorial District, from where the late NWL (Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe) originated, have met in a duly constituted Executive Committee of the South and appointed Amb. Nkoyo Toyo is the rightful person to occupy the position of NWL.
“The Southern Senatorial District Executive Committee, as constituted under Sec. 19(1) of the PDP constitution, has appointed and presented Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo as their preferred nominee,” the resolution said.
Continuing, the CRS Southern Senatorial District executive committee members added, “CRS South Senatorial District Executive Committee as constituted under Sec. 19(1) has resolved that Amb. Nkoyo Toyo will replace Prof. Stella Effah Attoe and provide the leadership needed for the women of the party over the next 2 years.
“This period represents the residue of the unexpired tenure of the late NWL.
By a resolution, leaders from the 7 LGAs in the South spoke about the vacancy, the provisions of the PDP Constitution, and the quality of representation needed from the South,” they said.
The Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, however, faulted what it described as “a direct affront on the misguided actions of the CRS PDP Chairman (Venatius Ikem) to try to appoint Ms Amina Arong (of the Central Senatorial District) to replace Prof. Stella Effah Attoe (Southern Senatorial District) the region rightfully recognized by the PDP Constitution to fill the vacuum (in this case the Southern Senatorial District) has taken its stand”.
The CRS Southern Senatorial District insisted that Amb. Nkoyo Toyo is a fit, capable, competent, and knowledgeable person from the Southern Senatorial District to occupy the position of National Woman Leader of the party.
The resolution has already been communicated to the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the PDP, the National Organizing Secretary of PDP, the National Vice Chairman South/South PDP and the State Chairman, PDP, Cross River State.
