By Joseph ETTA in Calabar
The internal crisis in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State is threatening the March 28 council elections.
Some aggrieved aspirants have called on the party’s national leadership to cancel the process, calling it a ‘sham’.
They are challenging the ‘controversial’ primaries, saying ‘the recently released list of candidates falls short of provisions of the party, and the danger of losing the state looms by this act of imposition and impunity’.
A petition addressed to the National Chairman, Uche Secondus, signed by 12 candidates – Godwin Offiono (Yala); Naku John (Ogoja); Ikpi Ubana Eyong (Yakurr); Obi Stephen Owan (Etung) and Orok Bassey Duke (Odukpani), reads: “The party should do the right thing else the Zamfara episode, which the party benefited from, may be used against it.
“What happened in the state was a meeting of a few people who wrote names and forwarded same to the Cross River State Independent Commission (CROSIEC) as candidates of the party. We urge you to admonish the state leadership to cancel the process, which was a sham, and conduct fresh primary elections.
“We foresee danger ahead if the government does not do the right thing; the danger of losing Cross River State to the opposition parties looms by this outright imposition and impunity.”
A former chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Goddie Akpama, passed a vote of no-confidence in CROSIEC.
He said: “The timetable released (the second in a month) on January 29, which should be the deadline for submission of names by political parties, has dubiously shifted this deadline by one week at the convenience of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“CROSIEC is clearly not independent and cannot act as the umpire in the elections. CROSIEC is not competent to conduct the council elections as it lacks the fairness and decency to do so.
“Its plot to hijack the process in favour of PDP is clearly in the exorbitant fees to be paid by candidates…”
The electoral umpire had advertised forms for N600,000 (chairmanship) and N350,000 for councilor, but reduced it to N350,000 for chairmanship and N150,000 for councilor.
Chairman of CROSIEC Mike Ushie said the charges were reduced to encourage more participation. He explained the reduction was proof of Governor Ben Ayade’s magnanimity; showing that the administration had a listening ear and was committed to participation of people in the third tier of government.
Ushie promised CROSIEC would provide a level-playing field for participants.
