Gov. Ayade(front), Speaker Lebo(rare). When Ayade proposed 2017 budget, November at CRSHA
Ifere Paul|27 November 2016
1. Governor Ben Ayade has set up a prayer Committee that meets at the stadium every weekend for prayers for the Governor to win the 9th December battle. However, prayer warriors in the praying committee have not been able to meet for their last two prayer sessions because the committee has not paid them their prayer allowances.
2. The Governor has also set up post 9th December committee called the "10th December Celebration Committee." The committee is to organize celebration activities and street jubilation when he wins the 9th December battle.
3. The Governor has also set up a secret Committee which the State Chapter PDP is not aware of. The Committee is charge with the responsibility of for the governor to decamp to the APC before 8th December. This is the Committee that has been given over 1 Million Naira to liase with APC Chieftains in Abuja for a possible decamping.
4. The Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi is rumored to be a strong supporter of Governor Ben Ayade. According to reliable feelers, Ayade had met Amaechi and told him that his expulsion from the PDP Markarfi faction is built on the hatred Governor of River State, Nyosom Wike has for him. Ayade had lied to Amaechi that his closeness to Buhari is causing uneasiness with the PDP Governor's Forum.
5. The Minister of Transport has then taken over the Ayade issue based on the fact that he(Amaechi) does not want Wike yielding unnecessary influence over any PDP governor that may want to cross over to the APC.
6. Governor Ben Ayade, who belongs to Modu Sheriff faction of the PDP is tainted so much with different allegations from forgery, diversion of bailout funds through his brother, Frank Ayade's account. The EFCC had in September arrested Frank. Frank's wife was arrested late October and was also given administrative bail after tendering all her travelling documents. She was accused of withdrawing monies as a proxy for her husband from government accounts.
7. Governor Ben Ayade has a horrible and seriously tainted image that cannot win him another primary even in the PDP. He is a bad choice to be accepted in the APC. It is quite sad that those APC Chieftains who are closer to the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi, are not telling him the truth about Cross River State.
8. Governor Ben Ayade has ruined whatever political and economic progress we have attained over the last 16 years. He has pushed us 12 years backward, and behind other States like Ebonyi, Zamfara, Adamawa, Jigawa, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, Nasarawa, etc.
9. If APC is serious about taking over governance in the State, it has therefore to keep aside the fight for supremacy that has helped fractionalized the party the more. It is quite sad that the two personalities of APC from Yakurr are not working in hand in hand. It is more sad that even the Minister of NDA allowed the politics of division to spray its fangs. His response to a petition written against him by a media contractor he hired but could not was all too diminutive of his office. The SA-PPM should also try to refrain from responding to the Minister. In order to allow the gains recorded by the Wabilly Nyiam Peace & Reconciliation Committee that was set up to bring peace in APC CRS Chapter. The SA-PPM should avoid further utterances in matters relating directly or indirectly to the MNDA.
10. It is also important that the National Chairman South South, Ntufam Hilliard Eta exert more pressure on the National Leadership in the party to nominate additional appointees from other Senatorial Districts in Cross River State. The appointed appointees can also help in directing some appointments to other zones in the State.
11. It is important that all appointees of the PMB from CRS work together to deliver the needed change of the PMB administration.
12. Let all the appointees endeavor to form a working document that will aid them towards the development of Cross River State.
13. Most importantly, the appointees are seen as role models. They should carry us their subjects in their hearts before taking actions that would negatively influence their followers.
14. The State Chairman(Ag) should as a matter of fairness to the party, be a little more proactive. APC CRS Chapter is not acting like an opposition party. The Chairman to wake up and ginger the opposition movement.
15. Governor Ben Ayade of PDP should be asked in strong terms to stay in the PDP to build his party. He should remain in the PDP whether Maikarfi faction or Sheriff's faction, he should remain there. The 8th December Decamping Committee as set up by the governor should be rejected.
17. The APC Members who collected contracts from Ben Ayade administration should be disciplined by the party. Some of the beneficiaries of the SUBEB contracts are the ones preaching the gospel of Ayade in the APC.
18. APC needs to have a voice. Opposition is not a fold your hands or watch and pray till election time. APC CRS Chapter should learn from Fayose, who has cunningly barks off APC Ekiti State Chapter to oblivion.
19. It is very disheartening too that APC Cross River State does not encourage its whistleblowers, social media change agents, and critics of the Governor Ben Ayade. These group of persons are very important in opposition politics.
20. Long Live APC!
Long Live Cross River State!
Long Live Nigeria!
Ifere Paul
Is a Social Commentator
