Cross River: LP’s lawmaker, Odey, loyalists join APC

The member of the Cross River State House of Assembly representing Yala 1 State Constituency, Hon Odey Brian has applauded the Cross River State Governor, Sen Prince Bassey Otu, saying he has changed the narrative in the state.

Hon Odey, who is also the chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts stated this during a rally to mark his defection from the Labour Party (LP) into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), at his Yahe Ward in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The State Governor, Sen Prince Bassey Otu ably represented by the Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt Hon Elvert Eyambem, the Cross River State APC State Chairman, Alphonsus Ogar Eba Esq, JP, Deputy Speaker Hon Sylvester Agabi Jnr, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon Emmanuel Ironbar, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon Boniface Okache, were amongst top government functionaries and political leaders present to welcome the lawmaker into the APC family.

Also present were several members of the party, Commissioners, senior government appointees, APC chapter and ward excos, including Commissioner for Housing, Hon (Dr) Mrs Beatrice Igwe, DG Rural Electrification Agency,.Hon Francis Ekpo, GM RUWATSSA, Hon Sunday Oko (Otolo), Hon John Eyikwaje, Hon Mrs Ezama, Hon Richard Ogbeche, Barr Roland Ipuole, Victor Bravo, SA Mobilisation amongst others.

This is just as Hon Brian defected with over 2000 supporters including the ward and chapter executives of the Labour Party in Yala and other LGAs in Cross River North.

The state lawmaker was received by the ward Chairman, who presented him with the copy of the party constitution and a bunch of broom which is the symbol of the APC.

In his remarks, Hon Brian said, “I stand before you today to make this sweet and wonderful decision to join the APC. We are all aware that I cannot do without the APC. They were involved from the start, I was endorsed and adopted and today I have become a legitimate and bonafide member of APC.

“I want to thank our dear Governor, His Excellency, Sen Prince Bassey Edet Otu for the enabling environment, for accepting us and for making it possible for us to be here. We are all aware that he has changed the narrative in Cross River State. He has done so well in so many areas. He has reduced the spare of insecurity to the barest minimum.”

Meanwhile the State Chairman, Alphonsus Ogar in his remarks said the defection of Hon Brian Odey into the APC has completely annihilated the Labour Party in Yala and Cross River North.

Welcoming him to the APC, Eba described Hon Brian as a “young man, who is humble, unassuming, down to earth, and called by God Himself to join our party. His spirit has been with us all this while, but today he is physically joining us. I have no hesitation in welcoming him into our party. I must commend him for what he has done.”

He said, there was something fundamental about Hon Brian, that his efforts to attend the rally was meted by different hindrances as flights were either canceled or he missed his flight, but that Hon continued to tell him on calls that, ‘My story of returning to APC will not be complete if you are not here.’

He explained that, “It was the original plan of our party to zone the House of Assembly ticket to Yahe because Yahe Ward has never had House of Assembly before but we were cut in between two injustice by compensating those who have left PDP to join us. But as fate would have it, it didn’t work out. But today I stand here publicly again to forgive everybody who was part of whatever befell us that made this ticket to come to Yahe. Because this is the will of God.

“We don’t have the problem of leadership in Yahe, we have had the best of leaders. But what Yahe needs now is a servant leader and so I welcome Hon Brian Odey into the APC.

“Today Labour party is in tartars. Section 59 sub-section 51 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has given him the humongous right to join us. I am happy because he has completely annihilated the entire LP structure in Yala and Cross River North, starting from chapter Chairmen to the whole ward Chairmen. Congratulations!

“But let me use this opportunity to send a notice to anybody who said he is sitting in the National Assembly that we have come to take over Yala, Ogoja and the North. I come with the anointing of the taking over in Edo State. And we would do it double in Yala.”

In the same vein, the Speaker of Cross River State House of Assembly has called on the people of Yala to stand with the State Chairman, Alphonsus Ogar Eba Esq, JP and deliver 95% to the Governor in 2027 as their appreciation for the huge sacrifices of the State Chairman and the great work of the state state Governor, Sen Prince Bassey Otu.

He said, “I bring greetings from His Excellency the sweetest Governor of our time. He has transformed the entire Cross River State and of course from Yala, which means the Governor has Yala at heart. And for this thank you, you are all sending to the Governor by welcoming your representative to our party, shows clearly that you people are very grateful for what the governor has done. Hon Brian Odey is the annihilator of Labour Party in the North. You have done so very well.

“Our state chairman, Barr Okadigbo, I tell you in good faith that God blessed the day you found Hon Brian, you didn’t just give me a friend, you gave me a brother. You gave me a dependable ally. Hon Brian is a very humane person, humble, soft-spoken with a very good heart. Hon Brian can befriend anybody for the sake of peace. God bless you.

“And please for those of you who have found time to come to say you are aligning with the APC I tell you in no distant time the governor would have recognized you and shone like a bright star.

“Let us join hands together and help the party chairman who has worked tremendously for this party. Let’s join hands together with him and the rest of your representatives to pull Yala 95% to the APC. That is the only way you can tell the Governor thank you. There’s no governor that has done as much as what Prince Bassey Otu has done for the Ukelle people and the entire Yala LGA. I tell you this in good authority, the Governor has Yala at heart.

“And please the reward for hard work is more work. The day the party chairman would come to say Yala I have worked for you, work for the State, it’s your turn to reward me, please do not hesitate to reward Barr Okadigbo.”

READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE