By Laureta Akpan
Unless another aspirant takes advantage of the extension of time of purchase of nomination forms by the ruling PDP to November 7, 2014 to join the nine who have already purchased the substantive nomination forms to contest the 2015 governorship race in Cross River State, the ground can be said to be settled for the battle for the ticket by nine gladiators at the November 29, primaries.
Despite efforts by the party to forge a consensus, nine aspirants coughed out N10,000,000 each to buy the nomination form in readiness for the primaries. They include those on the five man list that the state chapter of the party released as finalists from the caucus screening, namely: Legor Idagbo, Ben Ayade, Mike Aniah, Fidelis Ugbo and Larry Odey.
Others are Reverend Father Francis Eworo, Goddy Jedy Agba, Emmanuel Ibeshi and Joe Agi SAN.
With the failure of the failure of the party to negotiate a consensus among the aspirants, the nine are ready to go to the primaries come November 29.
Some of the aspirants who spoke to CrossRiverWatch said they are ready for the primaries and will rather be knocked out in a free and fair primary than to chicken out of the process at this point.
As the aspirants continue to battle for the delegates that will vote for them in the ongoing congresses, it is hoped that the acrimony which the process has generated will not spiral into a political crisis.
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