5 June 2019
All Progressives Congress
Cross River State
Office of the State Publicity Secretary
Press Release
Elections Victory Remark: WHY AYADE MUST SHUT UP!
The trending media report credited to the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Ben Ayade saying at a recent church service to herald his second term inauguration into office that "Never in the political history of Cross River was there a time the Governor won all the polling units in the elections…" was misleading,false and done with malicious intent perhaps to disparage some leaders in the state.
The statement further questions the statesman status of the holder of that office and therefore manifest a classic case of all that is repugnant in political leadership.
The All Progressives Congress in Cross River State is concerned that this fabrication and conjectures or at best distortions in the political history of our state are corrected immediately so that many undiscerning minds would not be misled into a certain erroneous conclusions.
Let's therefore hasten to state that during the days of Chief Dr. Clement Ebri's ambition to become Governor and up to the time of Senator Liyel Imoke, elections were won by these past Governor through a keen contest both during the party primaries and the polls proper.
Indeed,there was never a time in the political history of the state that a Governor was chosen on a platter of Gold as the last two dispensations when unfortunately for the state, Sen. Ayade became Governor. Senator Imoke deserves Ayade's praises for shelving aside the likes of Chief Goddy Jeddy-Agba,Dr.Paul Udayi,Mr. Emmanuel Ibeshi among others from unleashing a contest against an Ayade's ambition to become Governor.
At the elections of 2015 and 2019,one crisis featured prominently that paved the way for Ayade. Like 2015,qwhat would have been a ding-dong affair between the PDP and APC was not to be because there was a deep-seated distrust in the opposition, perhaps fueled by ruling party,which conspired with other factors within the opposition towards a fatal plunge this paving the way for Ayade's smooth emergence. There were no keen contest that should warrant such a scarthing remark from such a high office holder.
Governor Ayade cannot afford to toy with the sensibility of Cross Riverians by perhaps wanting them divert their attention from further monitoring his very abysmal outing in his first term and empty promises of heaven on Earth in his second term with such provocative comments.
After all the political history of the state just got a boost with the comical outcome of the just concluded elections. How for instance can Sen. Ayade draw such an inference when the current litigations arising from the elections have come with startling revelations by the electoral umpires themselves that the polls results in some cases had developed wings and took flight. The question then is which results are Ayade celebrating as his report card?
Clearly,the APC wants Cross Riverians to believe that with such comments coming at the twilight of an administration that perpetuated itself in office through fraud summoned by the grand conspiracy between the electoral umpire,INEC, Security Operatives and the ruling junta, there is a likelihood that things are bound to be awry amongst the mass of our people by virtue of the monumental failure that is imported into the state. The signs are what you have seen already!
The just concluded elections which witnessed the highest form of fraud,brigandage against leaders of the APC and outright manipulation cannot be said to be a keen contest for Ayade. At best the involvement of the INEC manifesting clearly in the delisting of our candidates brought a stubborn picture of the conspiracy we are talking about.
The bottom line is that Ayade was far from re-entry into office if the polls were free,fair and credible like what obtained in the eras aforementioned. This perhaps is why the Governor was quick at pointing to the election petition at the tribunal and had gone ahead to plead that the Catholic Church which represents the spiritual Parenthood of Sen. John Owan Enoh and himself should intervene to save not only his face but his mandate. However,apart from this comical understand of the Governor, it is important to note that Ayade defied the sanctity of the temple of God and the sacred nature of the Almighty God to present such a false, misleading and malicious statement. How sad and unfortunate!
We urge Cross Riverians not to put their trust in the Government of Sen. Ayade who has already showed clearly signs of woeful because as they say "morning shows the day".
We also asked that this deliberate distortions should not be taken seriously as it doesn't in any way represents a part or parcel of our political history.
Incidentally,we make bold to request against making comments that provoke distatesful public sentiments,Ayade should bare his fangs!
BASSEY ITA
State Publicity Secretary.
May 31,2019.
