28 April 2020
There is understandable lull in Governor's Office amongst the twenty-six media aides to His Excellency the Executive Governor of Cross River State as the national leadership of Nigeria's leading opposition political party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, published its lists of 'Approved Local Government Executive Committee Members: 2020-2024' for Cross River.
This glaring quiet among the media aides to the State Governor has been attributed to the 'lopsided' character of the names in the said lists across the 18 LGAs as pundits claim that a majority of the names in the lists are loyal to former governor Liyel Imoke and the members of the National Assembly. For instance, on Cross Street cyberspace, a user said in part '… Congratulations to Senator Liyel Imoke & all the NASS Members on their Victory at Wadata House. They now own PDP CRS Structures'. This explains why, on some threads, one get to see '5/18' implying that in a chapter EXCO of 18 members, a paltry 5 are reportedly loyal to the State Governor. Accordingly, Anthony Bissong Attah of the Young People Party, YPP, said in part 'Pray for Ayade. These are not the best of days for our digital Excellency. A lot is happening to him at the same time… Even in PDP, it is 5/18'.
Simon Utsu a social commentator yesterday gave a lucid analysis of the Governor's fortunes across the 18 LGAs including the numerous wards. According to him, Ayade succeeded to clinch to just 4 chapter EXCOs from 18. The picture was reportedly gloomy in the wards as well. He said 'In the South, Gershom & the rest of the PDP NASS got the 7 LGAs, in Central, Ayade could only take 2 (out of 6) and in his Northern Cross River backyard, only Obudu & Obanliku entered his bag. The other three(Ogoja, Yala and Bekwarra) went the way of the NASS team. Apparently, the list (PDP ward & LGA congress) which was released today has really rattled him… '
However, award winning social influencer, Ini Imah, has warned against those who are already excited at Ayade's poor outing in the said PDP Chapter and Ward EXCO lists. In Imah's thinking, the governor can still turns things around as some members of the EXCOs are on his payroll already being political appointees. While projecting the eventual winning of Ayade, he also suggested that money will play a vital role in swaying loyalty. His words in part, 'This is politics, Gov. Ayade will buy all of the EXCO members over. Some of them are appointees already and the others have their price tags… so stop rejoicing excessively…so let's be calm about this hullabaloo on the EXCO list sent in from PDP Wadata House, Abuja…. James Hadley Chase wrote in his book, "Everybody has a price tag, find it…" so don't be shocked when what seems like 5/18 for governor Ayade can turn to 16/18 in due course.'
Already, there are rumours that Ayade will challenge the PDP chapter and ward EXCO in the following week. Ukorebi Esien the publisher of TDN an hour ago alleged on his Facebook timeline: 'PDP Ward/LGA Exco list "If this list stands, Call me a bastard." Ayade Screams out'.
On his part, Kalita Joe Aruku of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Calabar hinted through his social media account about the governor threatening a defection, 'Eavesdrops: Gov. Ayade issues PDP National 48 hours to reverse LG and Ward Exco list, threatens defection!'.
Will the governor bounce back or has his political career being buried for life with the publication of this chapter and ward lists? Only time will tell.
