APC accuses Gov. Wike of ‘importing political cannibalism into Cross River State’

[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]

Cross River State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alphonsus Ogar Eba has warned Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, to stay away from the state.

Eba made this known in Calabar while reacting to the recent flag off of campaigns for the bye-elections in Cross River State by the Rivers governor.

The party chairman accused the River State governor of planning to use River State funds to sponsor Ogoja/Yala federal constituency and Akpabuyo state constituency bye-elections scheduled for February 26.

“He must keep off from Cross River State,that Cross Riverians shall resist his coming.

“And I am putting the world on notice that we are open to decent politics to allow opposition play thier game but we shall not tolerate any attempt of further Intimidation by whosoever or whatever ever name called His Excellency Gov. Nyesom Wike.

“Whatever emperor he calls himself. There is no kingdom that has an extension of his captured  territory of Obiakpor extending to Cross River State.

“And the slaves he has here, they must behave themselves or else they would join him in Port Harcourt.

He alleged that the Rivers State governor was behind the invasion of the Calabar Sports Club and advised him against crossing the line of political decency.

He said the state will no longer condone this as the state is not an extension of Rivers State.

“Nyesom Wike has been a constant medlesome interloper and today we want to say that enough is enough.

“He was here on Saturday to incite violence in Cross River State but it took the maturity of our leader and governor Professor Ben Ayade to a avert violence.

“What he has set to do over time is to import the political cannibalism from Rivers State politics into Cross River State.

“Cross Riverians will no longer continue to allow him to cross the boundary of the line of political decency”, he said.

He said the youths in the state have been liberated and will not give space for such crossing any longer.

“The Ayade administration has liberated over one million youths and the youths want to tell him that he will have no space to cross any longer.

“We are a peace loving people and very decent and civilised and lead by two very prominent professors.

“We will not get so low to the level of a governor that is almost like a motor park tout.

“We want the world to know that the governor with his level of exposure, education, and political capital in him  cannot reduce himself to the level of a man who the poverty of intellectual capacity”, he said.

He urged the police, Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to live up to the challenge and not succumb to pressure from anyone whatsoever.

It would be recalled that while reacting to the failed plans by the state government along with the police to thwart its planned rally to kick-off the bye election campaigns, Rivers Governor, had lashed his Cross River counterpart, Ben Ayade, for going all out to stop ‘an ordinary state election,’ as he further queried the; “when it comes to governorship what will happen?”

Wike at the inauguration of the Cross River State PDP campaign team for elections into legislative seats in the Akpabuyo State constituency and Ogoja/Yala Federal constituency, which authorities in the state had tried to stop.

“It is obvious Nigerians have rejected the APC not just in Cross Rivers State but across the country. I thank members of the PDP for being resolute and ensuring the rally went ahead.

“With the passion and commitment shown today by our party members and the people of Cross Rivers State, I am confident our candidates would come out victorious in the February 26th by-elections and Nigerians would go on to vote out the APC in 2023.”

Governor Wike chided Governor Ayade and the Cross River State Police Command over plots to subvert the PDP rally in Calabar.

Wike at the campaign venue in Calabar, had declared further: “When I was told that they don’t want you to hold this rally, I said this rally must hold today and I must come.

“Whatever will happen let it happen today. I told your leader that if you did not hold this rally today, then, that would have been the end of PDP. But I thank God, all of you resisted it and you said enough is enough.

“Let me tell you now, I have come here today to let you know I’m going to give you every support. Don’t be afraid. They tried it in Rivers State, we resisted them. They are trying to instigate fear in you. Don’t be afraid at all. Whatever the Cross River government can do, PDP can do it better.

“I don’t understand how a governor would for ordinary federal constituency election, ordinary state election, you’re stopping them to hold a rally. When it comes to governorship what will happen?”

Wike encouraged the people to remain steadfast in their resolve to ensure that APC is voted out of power in the 2023 general elections.

Officers of the Cross River State Police Command at the instance of the Commissioner, Mr. Aminu Alhassan, had cordoned off the Calabar Sports Club, venue of planned PDP rally.

Alhassan, in an interview with some journalists, confirmed that he deployed policemen to temporarily seal off the venue die to security concerns.

“I sent the security to avoid breakdown of law and order in the state. Two big parties cannot hold events the same day so that they will not cause problem.

“So, I had to stop the PDP’s own and allow APC. PDP can hold their own tomorrow, please,” CP Alhassan stated.

He further explained that the two political parties applied and received approvals to hold their events, noting that “the APC youths summit had already started their activities, which is climaxing today.”

Meanwhile, those expected at the PDP rally included; State Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom; and Mr. Godwin Obaseki of Edo, alongside his Benue counterpart, Mr. Samuel Ortom, as well as, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta.

It was gathered that the PDP campaign committee, made up of over 1, 000 members was to be inaugurated Saturday, February 19, 2022, and dispersed to their various wards and polling units to intensify campaigns for the two candidates, Mr. Mike Usibe for Ogoja/Yala Federal constituency and Dr  Effiom Ekeng Edet for Akpabuyo State House of Assembly.