By Patrick Obia
A frontline aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the October 31, 2020 senatorial bye-election in Cross River north district, Dr. Stephen Odey has declared as untrue, reports that there is a division in the state chapter of the party.
Reports suggest that the party is currently split among two lines; one led by Governor Ben Ayade while the other is led by eight out of the nine federal lawmakers elected on the platform of the PDP.
But, Mr. Odey, reported to be Mr. Ayade’s preferred aspirant told CrossRiverWatch on Tuesday that was untrue and described what was going on as a “misunderstanding.”
“The party is not divided at all, is only misunderstanding. The Governor is the leader of the party,” Odey said on the sidelines of the screening exercise for aspirants at the party’s secretariat in Calabar on Tuesday.
He continued: “There is nothing like this side or this side, PDP is one. I urge everybody to close ranks and work with the leader of the party who is the Governor of the State.”
Four other aspirants were screened and cleared alongside Mr. Odey for the senatorial primary elections while Mrs. Maria wife of late lawmaker, Godwin Akwaji who represented Obudu in the State House of Assembly, was the only one screened for that position.
The bye-elections are occasioned by the demise of Senator Rose Oko and Honorable Godwin Akwaji who died in March and June 2020 respectively after battling with undisclosed illnesses.
Mrs. Akwaji is said to be the preferred choice of Mr. Ayade; reminiscent of his decision to allow the wives of two lawmakers in the eight Assembly to replace their late husbands.