Cross River PDP crisis: More reactions trail Supreme Court ruling

The Forum of Local government Chairmen in Cross River State has called on the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to meet out disciplinary measures against erring members of the National Assembly for taking the party to court.

The Forum, which made the call while speaking with journalists in Calabar, the state capital, shortly after a brief meeting, emphasised that Governor, Ben Ayade remained the leader of the party in the state.

Hon Emmanuel Ishabor, Chairman, Ogoja Local Government Area, who also doubles as Secretary of the group, opposing Ayade’s leadership of the party in the state amounted to cutting down the ladder with which one used to climb up, noting that politics is local and that the same boat that took them (the aggrieved National Assembly members) to present offices is what the NASS members are wanting to capsize, in am unfair manner.

Hon Ishabor while speaking noted that, “From the inception of the PDP, the governor is known as the leader of the party in the state. We stand here to say that Prof Ben Ayade remains the leader of the party in the state and we stand by that in totality.”

According to him, “Politics is local, it is not enough to go to other states or Abuja to make an announcement, this forum represents Ayade. We will not sit back and fold our hands and watch people we went all out for, to capsize the boat which brought them to the point where they are now.”

The Ogoja Local Government Area added that “under the leadership of governor Ayade, the boat of PDP will not capsize. The primaries were free and fair and both parties participated in the process. The will of the people will stand, and the will of the people is Sen. Stephen Odey.”

He called for the implementation of the recommendations of the Senator David Marks Committee, which set up after the chapter and ward Congress.

“Today we are coming out as representatives of the 18 LGAs to say that the recommendation of the David Mark led Committee to be implemented for a safe and peaceful Cross River State. We have seen situations where some NASS members openly disrespected the party, the NWC of the party will be unfair to itself if they don’t sit up to discipline such members especially in Cross River State”, he warned.

In her reaction, Hon Stella Odey, Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, expressed satisfaction with the performance of Governor Ayade in the state and in the PDP.

Hon Odey noted that “Gov Ben Ayade is doing everything he needs to do to make the PDP stronger in the state. There cannot be two pilots in a plane or two captains in a ship, the only pilot or Captain is Prof Ben Ayade,” Odey reiterated.

She assured that “whatever the party is going through will be surmounted because we have a visionary leader who came to a state that was hitherto a civil service state and he has decoupled the state with his industrialization strides.”

Odey thanked the council chairmen for their appreciation of the “deep leadership and vision of this administration your presence has shown that the people are with us. I believe in the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus because he has the capacity and he is a man of integrity and we believe he would listen to us and whoever needs to be disciplined would be disciplined.”

Tribune Online recalled that this week commenced with commissioners in Governor Ben Ayade cabinet meeting and planning to stage a protest against the Supreme Court judgment on the authentic chapter and ward executives of the PDP in Cross River State.

The Supreme Court had struck out the appeal brought before it challenging the verdict of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal which authenticated the list that the Ayade’s camp of the PDP considered to have favoured the camp of the National Assembly Members of the party in the state.

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Tribune Online gathered that the meeting planning the protest was held on Sunday, and had in attendance Ayade’s commissioners and senior appointees at the residence of Commissioner for Solid Minerals, George O’ben-etchie. The protest which was billed for Monday, unfortunately, ended in a brawl involving the commissioner of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Oliver Orok and former Attorney General, Joe Oshie-Abang. Also, two female commissioners – Rita Ayim and Stella Odey-Inyang had another brawl on the side.

Although Comrade Asu Okang, the Commissioner for Information, when contacted, denied the planned protest, saying that “there is no protest, I’m only aware that some junior appointees want to pay the governor a solidarity visit to pledge their commitment to the governor despite the Supreme Court judgment. To stage a protest will be counterproductive.”

Tribune Online also gathered that on the contrary, dozens of aides, supporters and stalwarts of the PDP, loyal to Governor Ayade, who had gathered at the 11-11 Roundabout in Calabar for the protest had dispersed.

The aborted protest was to show solidarity with Mr Ayade as the judgment delivered by Justice Tijjani Abubakar is said to have dealt a fatal blow to the Governor’s intention to control the PDP’s structure in Cross River.

After gathering for over two hours from 9:00 am, many of the would-be protesters began to disperse and the last set left at 11:28 am on Monday.

Most of the aides were heard telling supporters that they were awaiting further directives as the last message received was for them to gather and mobilise for the protest. But, when over 80 per cent of those who had converged departed, a former aide who turned up for the protests told Tribune  Online that; “They (Commissioners) said Oga (Ayade) said it should not go on because of a perceived backlash due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE