By CrossRiverWatch admin
The PDP in Cross River State Saturday, employed the option A4 voting pattern to select executives at the ward level which saw a lot of intrigues despite the fact no violent conduct has been reported.
This is even as some members of the party allege that the PDP is yet to learn from its past mistakes of imposition by yet again, denying party faithfuls the opportunity of freely electing their leaders.
They alleged that the congresses were more of an “arrangement” done from Calabar and the congress proper was “mere formalities.”
CrossRiverWatch gathered that in the northern senatorial district, especially in Obudu, Bekwarra and Yala local government areas, materials arrived very with some wards voting as late as 10 PM that same day while some location did get their own voting materials till Sunday evening.
One party bigwig who pleaded not to be named said, “Even usually, we don’t do election. We don’t vote. We in the Ward usually will do our affirmation by consensus and when they bring the electoral materials, we just fill the names we have affirmed and send the list back to the party headquarter and INEC.
“But this time around, our leaders in Calabar want to impose their candidates on us. No materials for the election and even after we have affirmed our leaders, those names changed along the way to Calabar and that means the party is yet to learn.”
In Ogoja, there were minor upsets with a few appointees wondering why their preferred candidates did not win but were comfortable with the fact they may be included in the caucus at the local government level.
Across the Central senatorial district, materials also arrived late with some wards especially in Boki and Etung local government areas getting them late in the day, while in troubled communities in Yakurr and Obubra, sources said the congress held in party chieftains residences.
Despite repeated denials that there is no cold war between Governor Ayade and Senator Owan Enoh, party bigwigs in Obubra who also did not want to be named, equally complained to CrossRiverWatch that the governor’s camp is trying use the congress to arm twist their (Senator Owan Enoh) camp.
They insisted that Senator Owan Enoh has the overwhelming support of the people of the Central Senatorial district and vowed that they will resist the attempt by the governor and ensure that Senator Enoh does not lose control of the party in the Central
In the Southern senatorial district, CrossRiverWatch findings reveal that most of the party bigwigs spent the entire day at the party secretariat where they tried influencing the final outcome of their respective wards to position them to their advantage.
CrossRiverWatch also gathered from reliable sources that the names of the elected officials were already crafted down as the incumbent administration is bent on bringing its own structures to ensure the powers at play currently are not challenged in any way.
A lady in the Public Affairs department of INEC in Calabar told CrossRiverWatch that the Commission’s officials who monitored the congresses are yet to file their report so she was unable to give any comments until the report of their field officers arrive.
In a related development, information reaching CrossRiverWatch reveals that Governor Ayade has directed the leaders of the PDP in the 18 local government areas to meet today and conclude the zoning arrangements for the LG congresses.
Ayade who left for Abuja today, is said to have told all stakeholders that he wants the local government congresses to be hitch free with some saying that directive is a confirmation of the allegations that the choice candidates of party bigwigs may be imposed on party faithfuls.
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