Cross River APC Divided Over Governorship Running Mate

Chuks Okocha writes that some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Cross River State are at daggers drawn with Governor Ben Ayade over the choice of the party’s deputy governorship candidate for the March, 2023 gubernatorial poll

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State last year defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress  (APC) due to perceived irreconcilable political differences. He moved with his political associates in the State House of Assembly, including Peter Odey Agbe who also left the PDP for APC so as to  maintain his position as House Leader.

As expected, the PDP dragged him to court on the basis that he cannot leave the party because there was no leadership crisis in the state as well as the national cadre of the party. The PDP challenged his defection, urging the court to declare his seat at the state House of Assembly vacant. He went to court to claim that he is still a member of the PDP.

At a time when the court was to give judgement against his defection to APC. He filed a suit at the Federal High Court, denying that he has left the PDP. He denied being a member in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/976/2021.

But last month, he was listed as the governorship running mate to the APC gubernatorial candidate, Prince Bassey Otu. APC members in the state are accusing Governor Ayade of imposing a non party member as a running mate to the party’s flag bearer in the state.

Stakeholders of the APC in the state, in a petition addressed to the national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, signed by the chairman of the Cross River  State  Council For Good Governance (CRSCGG) James Udoh and the Secretary, Emmanuel Akpan, made available to Thisday,  accused Governor Ayade of imposing his political associate, Odey Peter Agbe who is a chieftain of the PDP as the running mate to Otu Bassey who is the governorship candidate.

Accordingly, they said in the petition to the APC national chairman, “The truth is that you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. Peter Odey is not a legitimate member of APC. He denied being a member in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/976/2021.

“By extension to his own averments in the above suit, he has demonstrated bad faith in accepting to deputise Prince Otu having denied being a member of a political party he is now shamelessly parading himself as a member. What a political summersault by the Peter Odey.

“You cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time, you can not blow hot and cold. It is on record and the evidence is there that Peter Odey, a stooge to the governor in an attempt to please the governor defected with the governor to APC and when sued by the PDP, he swore on oath that he is still a member of PDP.

“It is surprising to now see him accept the inglorious position to deputize Sweet Prince and if our party APC does not tread with caution, the opposition will take advantage of the flaw of Peter Odey as deputy. We have seen precedents how a sitting governor was removed recently due to the sins of his deputy. A case study is Bayelsa state. May this never happen to Cross River State APC.

“May this man Peter Odey not infect our amiable governor in waiting Prince Otu with his bitterness. It is our candid opinion that because it is unclear whether or not Peter Odey has resigned his membership from PDP, he cannot in all honesty be handpicked by the governor to be deputy in a party that wants to win election in what is going to be a highly contentious election. He is not qualified and if nothing is done to change this impending disaster that is about to befall the party, then be rest assured that defeat is imminent. Let he who stands take heed lest he falls. Prince Otu is too sweet to have bitter Odey as running mate. Governor Ayade is only being mischievous and the governor may not know the legal implications of the candidacy of Peter Odey. Ayade should continue playing pranks. He can not always flatter our intelligence and if he refuses to give the choice of Peter Odey as deputy a thought, then no matter the matter, it will matter where it matters in the coming days.

The petition to the APC national chairman supported with an affidavit sworn at the Federal High Court. Abuja by Ekanem Bassey Asoquo said “Peter Odey Agbe is a registered member of the PDP and was hitherto sponsored by the PDP to contest election in the State House of Assembly”.

They further stated that the PDP issued him with the certificate of returns having won the election to represent his state constituency in the state.

According to the petition, the stakeholders argued that the group has checked the membership register of the APC in his ward, that as the time of their petition that he is still a member of the PDP.

The petitioners said the name of Peter Odey Agbe “is not found in the APC register and yet, his name was imposed on the governorship candidate, Bassey Otu as his running mate”.

According to the petitioners, “they know it as a fact that even when the APC care taker committee extended their registration exercise to all interest intending members, that Peter Odey Agbe never registered or revalidated his membership of the APC”, thus retaining his membership of the PDP

“That this is a ploy by Governor Ben Ayade to cause the APC to loose the gubernatorial election coming and ensure that he wins his senatorial ambition at the forth coming National Assembly election in the state.”, the petitioners claimed.

In view of this, the petitioners asked the national chairman of the APC, “whether having regards to the express provisions of section 29 (1)and section 84 of the new electoral act and article 2 , 7(iv),(iv) (viii)(ix)(xii) and (xiii), 9 and 31 of the APC constitution, the defendant can validly jettison the interest of other eligible members to contest in the selected primaries by imposing on the party for election in the forthcoming elections, as a way to compensate them for alleged membership of the PDP by ignoring members of APC  by way of automatic ticket and whether by the APC constitution that Peter Ode Agbe is a member of the APC “ 

They explained that the APC governorship candidate, Prince Bassey Otu, is helpless to protest because of the fear of the support of Governor Ayade.

The petitiobers warned that the attention of the national chairman is required to address the anormally before the August 8 date for the substitution of all candidates in the governorship election across the country.

The group called on the national chairman of the APC to intervene and save the party an obvious embarrassment caused by Governor Ayade. They urged the APC to act fast as the deadline to substitute candidate is August 8.

This current grievances by these stakeholders, if not addressed by the national leadership of the party could lead to a further division and could mar the chances of the party as they work towards the general election next year.