Cross River PDP Elders Lambast Duke, Ndoma-Egba And Cohorts

By Thisday

(file picture) Expanded south south elders meeting of the PDP in Calabar

Elders and concerned stakeholders of the southern senatorial zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State on Monday lambasted the former governor of the state, Mr. Donald Duke, and Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, for what they described as deprecatory campaign against the state governor, Senator Liyel Imoke.

Addressing a press conference in Calabar yesterday, the elders and Stakeholders, drawn from the southern senatorial district of the state, said they could no longer continue to be indifferent to what they called the macabre dance and destructive campaign being orchestrated by Donald Duke and Ndoma-Egba against Imoke.

The elders, who particularly took a swipe at what they described as desperate and febrile attempt by Duke and his cohorts to foist a governorship aspirant on the people of the state, warned that not again would they allow them to have their way.

Professor Nya Asuquo, who spoke on behalf of the group, said: “We as senior citizens of Cross River State and bona fide members of the PDP in our respective rights cannot be indifferent to the macabre dance and campaign of calumny and destruction orchestrated by Duke, Ndoma-Egba and their cohorts.

“It saddens us that these people who have benefited the most from the good people of the state are now the very same people bent on dragging the state back to the stone age because they believe they must always have their way, no matter what happens to the rest of the populace.”

Continuing, Nya, who was reading a statement signed by 22 elders of the party, said: “These people believe it is their birthright to give Cross Riverians the governor of their choice so as to resume the exploitation of the state from where they left off seven years ago. They believe they should import a governorship candidate from Abuja and foist him on us whether we like it or not.

“For the first time in the history of the state and the PDP in the state, Imoke has put his foot down and insisted that democracy must be fully participatory and that all the citizens of the state must participate in the election of all candidates, all hell is being let loose by these disgruntled people. We the people of this state say unequivocally that we shall not allow them. No! Not again.”

While warning those they described as agents of destabilization not to forget the lesson of history, the group said:
“Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. We are living witnesses of the eight years of ruin that we passed through under Duke. In his time, he decreed those who contested all elections from ward to Abuja. He appointed all public office holders singlehandedly and he alone presided over the privatization of public property in the state, most of which he privatized to himself. We the people of Cross River State will no longer allow this state of gansterism in Cross River State again. No! Not again!”

While praising Imoke and the state party chairman for putting in place a robust structure for the sustenance of democracy in the state, the elders echoed: “We the good people of Cross River State commend our governor, Imoke and state party chairman, Ntufam John Okon, for the very peaceful and transparent manner in which they conducted the ward delegate election of November 1, 2014. The money bags have been put to shame and for once, their money has not been able to help them.”

Culled from Thisday Newspaper

- by: iyamba Okon
- 10 years ago
As much as I respect the elders and their views. You guyz are the old bregade and our state don’t need your views to keep us going. Times have changed and we must move with time. You guyz have lost touch with the tenates and dividends of democracy. I challenge all of you to come to the table all of what imoke has achieved, you’re all bigots, am sorry to say. You all don’t know that Liyel and Obioma have mortgaged cross river. They have used sematech (liyel’s inlaw) and lilleker (gershom bassey), to swindle cross river. I have my sources.
- by: Ikoi uket Eteng (Ben Bruce)
- 10 years ago
I appreciate the dugged approach of the PDP elders. Its pertinent to unvail the verasity relating to the just concluded local government delegate, question to this hijackers is, why are they so desperate to causing unrest in our peaceful party, they hunting shadows other than facing reality.
- by: jymco
- 10 years ago
@Iyam Okon, they’ve been bought lunch meal to gather and talk. The State is suffering from EVERYTHING and they are comfortable with it. Maybe they are still watching NTA News & Listening to Radio Nigeria Network News. Let them get digital exposure and see the kind of progress other States (AKS, Edo, Lagos, Osun,etc) & the world is making to develop human capital, infrastructure, employment & internal revenue generation,Healthcare,Education, amongst others. It baffles me that most C’Riverians stationed at home are so weak mentally thereby condoning ineptitude & mediocrity which is been brazenly displayed by this present administration and down to even the State PDP Leadership. The State Local Government Administrations in almost all the LGAs is so weak and lack clever ideas because even at Councillorship levels, the State PDP Leader & the Wife selects people as such you see all what a Councillor wants to achieve is to build a 4 bedroom bungalow and probably marry if he or she had no wife/or not wedded officially before. CRS must not collapse!
- by: jymco
- 10 years ago
Publish my comments pls
- by: Teresa Okey
- 10 years ago
It is disheartening to see the country once respected as a laughing stock. The leaders aren’t the problems, but the citizens who mortgage their future and that of their children to do the dirty and bloody jobs the politicians asked of them for an insignificant amount. Where are our value systems gone? In as much as we still have to respect our elders as the culture demanded, but we will not fail to hold them responsible for the ills of the society. The elders before them left a safe and prosperous country for them and their descendants to enjoy? What role have they played to continue on the same path? Where are the elders when things were going from bad to worse? For them to take a stand now that no one can impose a candidate on them is a joke of the century? Rightly so, that’s what should obtain in a democratic society. But who has been elected democratically in that society? If I were the elders, I would search my conscience to see the role I have played in the destruction or construction of the society that was so lovingly handed to you and your likes. Do this, before you cast the first stone. Undoubtedly, you gathered to talk under the influence of bribery and corruption. No political party, be it PDP or APC, in this country is worth dying for.
- by: Eneji
- 10 years ago
These bunch of greedy creatures don’t know their left from right. All they are after is one political favour or the other. i suggest if they lack what to do, they should rather go sleep houses…Nonesense!