Baron Eyo Was Never Cross River Labor Party Chairman, I Appointed Him Against The Peoples Interest – Austin Ibok

By Archibong Jeremiah

The Special Adviser Inter Party Affairs to the Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade and a former Chairman of the State Chapter of the Labor Party, Mr. Austin Ibok has revealed that the ousted former Acting State Chairman of the Labour Party Mr. Baron Eyo was “by law, never a Chairman of the party.

“I can put it to you, that in the eyes of the law Baron Eyo was never a Labor Party Chairman because a Labor party Chairman must be elected by congress or be appointed by the National leadership of the party. Either of this must happen.” He said.

Mr. Ibok who made this known in an exclusive interview with CrossRiverWatch narrated how he singlehandedly brought Baron Eyo to power in the party against the wish of majority of those in the party.

He went on revealing that, “ When we contested election, the acclaimed person Mr. Baron Eyo who said he was the Chairman was appointed by me in that congress as the Acting Vice Chairman, South against the interest of the people because I believed he was a friend, he was someone I knew.”

Ibok stated that upon his resignation as Chairman of the party, he handed over the reins of the party in the State to Baron “based on personal interest. When I resigned my appointment as the then Labor Party Chairman in the State, whatever I did was still subject to the National to ratify the appointment of whoever I handed over to become a Chairman.”

Ibok added that, “Whatever I did to bring him on board was personal, personal against the constitution of the party. Whatever I did was still subject to National ratification. That means, the National needs to have issued you a later to ascertain that you are the Chairman or Acting Chairman pending when a congress will be called.”

Ibok washed his hands off the controversies trailing the just concluded Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) election, saying those political parties that walked-out did it for “personal interest”.

Mr. Austin further stated that it is the responsibility of his office to calm frayed nerves in times like this but that none of those who are complaining of not seeing their names on the list were telling the truth except for Baron Eyo who the party didn’t recognize as Chairman and therefore couldn’t have served as delegate in the election.