They are jokers – PDP.
Story by CrossRiverWatch Admin
Hon. Alex Irek,
Minority Leader,
Cross River State House of Assembly (ACN).
The opposition parties in Cross River State have challenged the ruling PDP to show the people of Cross River State proof of why they should vote for the party in the 2015 governorship elections. The State Governor, Liyel Imoke had earlier told reporters that his successor in office will come from the northern senatorial district of the state comprising Obanlikwu, Obudu, Bekwara, Ogoja and Yala Local government areas.
But some of the opposition stalwarts told crossriverwatch that while they were not opposed to having a governor from northern Cross River, Imoke’s statement was reckless and pre-emptive. They insisted that PDP is not the only political party in Cross River State and since other parties are going to contest the election, the governor should refrain from making such conclusive statements unless he is planning to rig.
The state spokesperson for the Congress for Progressive Change CPC, Mr. Maxwell Imiepe told crossriverwatch that “the governor is just saying the position of his party and it is unfortunate that a governor can just wake up and say anything he
likes. The PDP should be ready for a serious battle because we are working underground. It is only the votes of the people of Cross River State that will determine who succeeds the incumbent governor and not Liyel Imoke”. He said the CPC believes in merit and does not care which part of the state the next governor comes from.
Mr. Ekeng-Iwatt Essiom, the ACN spokesperson for the state said the “Governors’ statement was unguarded because he did consider the interest of the other political parties”. In the same vain, the Minority Leader, Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Alex Irek told crossriverwatch in an interview that the Governor’s statement was a reflection of the PDP mentality that another party will never rule the state”.
The ACN lawmaker argued that it was the opposition that prompted the governor to make that statement. “the governor only re-echoed what we have been saying since 2010 that the next governor of the state should come from the northern senatorial district which is yet to produce a governor. The governor must have heard from the grapevine and that is why he is taking this move. On whether the opposition is still relevant or not, I want to assure you that the ACN will definitely have a governorship candidate for the 2016 election and it is only that election that will prove our relevance”
For the State spokesman of Congress for Democratic Change CDC and Executive Secretary Cross River State Çhapter of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties CNPP, Mr. Sunday Michael, “Cross River North remains the only zone yet to produce a governor for the state and the position of the CNPP is that all parties should make efforts to take their governorship candidates from the north. Any party that takes a candidate from south or central is heading for doom. We are also putting measures on ground to present the people of Cross River with a credible alternative”.
The governorship candidate for Hope Democratic Party HDP in the last governorship election, Dr. Leo Onyuku told crossriverwatch that the governor can afford to say that because the people of Cross River prefer the pittance and handouts that the PDP gives them during election and reject good candidates and that is why the plundering of the state under PDP will not stop. “our people are the problem.
They have made the governor the emperor. The manifestation of this mis-governance will not show until next 10years. The PDP is sure they will steal our resources, deploy them and win. But let’s hope that democracy survives till 2016 before we even talk about who succeeds the governor”.
In its reaction, the ruling PDP said that the opposition parties are jokers. A chieftain of the PDP Ambassador Obi Odu who is from Ogoja in the northern senatorial district said “I am not really bothered about which party is talking. The Governor
is just making a statement of fact. That someone from the northern part should succeed him.
That is the remaining zone that has not produced a governor. So why not now? If you see what is good, you don’t just go ahead and criticise for criticising sake. With very lean and meagre resources, see the number of rural roads he has constructed. I think he has done well and can decide who continues from where he will stop.”
All efforts to speak with the PDP state spokesman Joe Bisong were unsuccessful as all our calls to his phone were not picked as at the time of filing this report.
Some other analysts who spoke to crossriverwatch cautioned Cross River North politicians to be weary of this overwhelming and sudden shift of position by the political elite in the south and central. A trusted source in government circles told crossriverwatch that there is a grand plan to woo as many candidates as possible from the north into the governorship race with a view to dividing the zone and giving Governor Imoke’s rumoured anointed successor Gorshen Bassey, the ground
to get a clean sweep.