By Obeten Godfrey
A frontline runner for the senatorial seat of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in Cross River State, Chief Okoi Obono Obla, has stated that the party is fractured beyond redemption due to the imposition of candidates during the selection process.
Obla made this known in reaction to the just concluded Central Senatorial District APC primary election held at Ikom Local Government Area, the central senatorial headquarters, which saw the current Speaker of the state Assembly, Eteng Jonah Williams emerge as winner.
Obono-Obla, a founding member of the APC who served as Secretary of the merger committee that brockerd the formation of the APC in 2013, said the party has completely deviated from the philosophy of its founding fathers.
The former SPIP Chairman alleged that the primary election was characterised by irregularities and vote buying perpetuated by desperate aspirants in front of security agents. According to him, the delegates list for the election was altered and doctored by the powers that be to support the “anointed aspirant.”
ALSO READ: 2023: Atiku wins PDP presidential ticket, defeats Wike, Saraki, others
The former presidential aide said he was the major target of the powers that be from day one, and that those involved were at crossroads on what to do with him and therefore devised crude and inferior methods to edge him out.
His words: “The APC Senatorial Congress for the nomination of the candidate of the Central senatorial district of Cross River State held in Ikom on 28 May 2022, was a charade.
“The election was marred by voting buying perpetuated by desperate aspirants in front of security agents. Aspirants (except the anointed one) did not know who would be the electors at the election until they got to the polling station.
“It was not surprising that altered and doctored delegate lists by the powers that be to support the “anointed aspirant“. Some of us knew before voting that the election would be a sham.
“Every politically informed person was aware that a particular aspirant was the favorite of the powers that be. The brandishing of the name of one particular as the favored one weeks before the election amounts to intimidation.
He continued: “The potentate makes sure that you must have his endorsement before you can aspire to become a candidate. Aspirants that did not have the endorsement of the potentate, had sorts of obstacles thrown along their paths.
“I was the target from day one. The powers that be were at a crossroads on what to do with me and therefore devised crude and inferior methods to edge me out.
“The APC has completed deviated from the philosophy of its founding fathers. Let us see how the anointed aspirants will deliver the Party in the Cross River State.
“As it stands the Party, is fractured beyond redemption,” Obla said.
Results of the Cross River central senatorial election shows the current Speaker of the state Assembly, Hon. Eteng Jonah Williams emerge winner with 152 votes, Akin Ricketts who currently heads the Board of the NPA scored 109 votes, former DG of the National Center for Women Development, Mary Ekpere polled 35 votes, while Obono-Obla polled 19 votes.
