By Efa Sunday; Government House Correspondent
Some ex-Bakassi Strike Force militants, Friday, at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign rally in Bakassi Local Government of Cross River State, declared total support for the re-election of the State Governor, Sen. Ben Ayade.
This is coming few months after the ex-militants were granted amnesty by the Federal Government in collaboration with the Cross River Government.
Speaking at the rally ground, the former Commander of the defunct Bakassi Strike Force, Ene Benjamin Effiom, aka ‘Gee 1’ said, “Ayade must go back to the Diamond Hill for he is what Cross River needs, a man with a heart of God.”
Ene who rhetorically asked, “If not Ayade, who else?” intimated that “the Governor has brought strong and lasting peace in the Gulf of Guinea as on the day of laying down our arms, he made the boys to become men.”
Also in a recent development, the Southern Senatorial district Labour Party (LP) members has collapsed its structure into PDP.
According to the Bakassi Labour Party chapter Chairman Joseph Asuquo Bassey, the chapter Chairmen of Biase, Akamkpa, Odukpani, Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Akpabuyo and Bakassi agreed to collapse their structures into PDP to ensure victory for the PDP.”
At the Paramount Ruler’s palace, Ikot Effiom, Bakassi, where Ayade paid homage to the Royal fathers, the Paramount Ruler, Etinyin Etim Okon Edet applauded the various projects conceived and achieved by the Governor during his first tenure in office, admitting that, “Ayade has done so much in his first tenure more than what other Governors have done.”
Continuing, Etinyin Edet who is also the Chairman, Cross River Traditional Rulers Council said “Ayade does not look for you only when he is in distress but always doing what is good.”
Stakeholders including Sen. Florence Ita Giwa, Dr. Ekpo Ekpo, Iyadim Iyadim, Saviour Nyong, Edisua Iso among others, canvassed support for the Governor’s return, insisting that he has truly proved himself a worthy, tried and tested administrator.
The Governor of the State and PDP Guber flag bearer for the upcoming general election, Sen. Ben Ayade briefly responded thanking all and sundry for their support as he promised to do more for Bakassi if re-elected.