By Ikwen Atuaka
The All Progressives Congress, APC was today, Saturday denied the use of the Liyel Imoke Civic Center and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) events hall for their ‘award/recognition rally’ in Obudu local government area of the state.
Local handlers cited “orders from above” apparently referring to the Governor, Senator Ben Ayade who is also from Obudu, as reason for the denial.
The event which is also expected to witness the decamping of some members of PDP into APC was however shifted to the APC secretariat along Hospital road in Obudu.
But overnight, some persons allegedly loyal to the Governor brought down and destroyed campaign banners mounted in front of the APC Secretariat.
Our Correspondent in Obudu, Ikwen Atuaka, reports that there is palpable anxiety among scores of party members who are currently at the secretariat mounting canopies in preparation for the rally, which they vow must go on.
The anxiety, CrossRiverWatch gathered, is occasioned by rumors making the round that governor Ayade may have ordered the deployment of soldiers and Police to barricade the APC Secretariat to ensure that the event doesn’t hold.
But at the time of filing this report, our correspondent, who is on location, says nothing of such is happening there.
Speaking, one of the members of the organizing committee, Hon. Victor Afebende said that, “We paid for the civic center days back only for us to be told just yesterday that we can no longer use the place. Our money was refunded and as peace loving people, we quietly left.
“When we got another hall, that’s the NUT event hall, on the verge of paying, we were told we can’t use the hall citing orders from above. Even our Secretariat that we have opted to use is under siege, we noticed this morning that some thugs brought down and destroyed our flags yesterday.
“We have gone to the police but the DPO is saying we can’t hold the event. We heard soldiers are coming from Ogoja to disrupt the event and we don’t know our offence. When has it become an offence for a political party to meet?”.
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ayade, Christian Ita denies the allegation saying that the Governor was too busy to start thinking of disrupting APC event.
He said that ” That’s too petty. The Governor is on investment drive now in China, would he leave that to come and disrupt APC function?
“They should look within them to know who is responsible because the governor is too busy for that”.
A supporter of the governor in Obudu, who didn’t want to be named, also debunked the allegation that is it supporters of the governor that destroyed the billboards.
According to him: “And who says that it is not members of the APC who do not support the presidential ambition of Kwankwaso, who was printed on those billboards, that destroyed them or is Kwankwaso the only intending flagbearer if their party?
“They could be those who support Buhari for 2019 and did not want Kwankwaso billboards in front of their office so they go and destroy them to see how fingers can be pointed at His Excellency.” He said.
Short Link:
