By Patrick Obia
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“When I looked all around, only for me to realize that when the governor gave us the mandate to come and choose who will be the candidate of the party, I said I want to be very transparent and fair; I said I would not want the party to play that role because it will run contrary to the commitment I have made to all the aspirants, I rather decided to throw that ticket back to the field. As I speak with you today, the Sweetest Prince, if what I have heard about you and seen today is anything to reflect that, then you can just go home and celebrate.”
The above is the statement of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Cross River State chapter Chairman, Barr. Alphonsus Eba, while responding to Sen. Prince Otu and his entourage when they consulted the party about his governorship ambition.
Barr. Eba said he will be “unhappy and disappointed” if the party denies Sen. Otu the ticket admitting that he is the only man to match PDP edge-to-edge.
“It gives me joy today that we have found a man who is of the old stock of APC. I have always maintained that one of the problems we have for those of us who have joined recently is that we have been accused of being very selfish, it is going to be an opportunity that we are not selfish because we will put all the aspirants on the table and will look at the man that will help us win an election. I will be the most unhappy man, I will not only feel unhappy but will feel disappointed with myself. Therefore I will be looking for the best and I have found one.
“Those of you who know me, I sit down here with the fear of God not because of what I want but because of what our party wants, and so, I speak today here with everything that is in my heart to say we are going through a dark moment with a dark room,” he inferred after Sen. Otu pledged to give N10 million.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the consultation, Sen. Otu said the State has lost everything including 76 oil wells, the Bakassi peninsula among others, and Cross Riverians should expect peace, progress, prosperity, and a brand new Cross River if given the party ticket.
He however said: “No problem, I will remain loyal to the party, power belongs to God and he gives it to whomever he pleases and I will not ask questions,” if he loses.
Fielding questions that he is broke and may not withstand other financial heavyweights aspirants, he refuted “I am not a poor man but I thank God,” adding that he has 13 thematic areas to focus on.
“That issue is not an issue because you cannot know a man’s finances by looking at his appearance, I want to assure you everything is not all about finances; I have respect for only money that can build roads and communities, money that can save lives, I have respect for money that can change a lot of people; it’s that kind of money I have.
“In terms of matching them we will match anybody in the field and you can not tell me that somebody who is the Chairman of petroleum, chairman senate committee on banking does not know where to get money; I am not a poor man but I thank God. I don’t respect the seasonal money that comes every four years when you come, deceive people, and then run away. I like money that sustains and endures.”
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