Cross River Chief Of Staff, Returning Officer, Hijack Obudu PDP Primaries Materials

By Aplefe Ojong

The State House of Assembly PDP Primaries materials meant for Obudu were yesterday hijacked by party elements from outside Obudu and were thumb printed at the Presidential Lodge in Calabar.

CrossRiverWatch investigations revealed that the Returning Officer, one Mr. Oko Inaku, from Yala LGA and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Jude Ngaji, also from Yala LGA connived to hijack the Obudu materials and took them to the presidential lodge for thumb printing.

Sources informed CrossRiverWatch at the presidential lodge, venue where the Obudu materials were been held that the essence of the diversion of Obudu materials was to deny the Obudu delegates the opportunity to embarrass the governor by not voting for Hon. Steven Ukpukpen, the incumbent rep who the governor wants returned.

The people of Obudu accuse Ukpukpen of not doing anything to promote the interest of the LGA since he joined the House four years ago and there are fears that a free and fair primaries election in Obudu will see his ouster.

Information from Obudu say up till the time of filing this story, delegates in Obudu have not seen the electoral materials.

Meanwhile, CrossRiverWatch gathered that the matter was promptly reported to security agents.

Three of our reporters kept vigil at the presidential lodge from yesterday morning all through when the exercise lasted but were denied access inside by overzealous security men who told them that they have no business being in the presidential lodge since the press was not invited.