…give us the names of the 5000 defectors …APC to PDP
…let’s remind Gov Ayade that ingratitude is a Sin …PDP
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and People’s Democratic party, PDP in Cross River state are currently at loggerheads following Imoke’s Statement that “they made a miscalculation in 2015 over his successor while apologising to Cross Riverians to forgive them for the choice NEGROIDHAVEN has garnered.
The former governor, Sen. Liyel Imoke made the statement at the weekend at TTC, Igoli, Ogoja LGA venue for the reception of Sen. Jarigbe after his thanksgiving Mass at St Benedict Cathedral.
Sen. Liyel Imoke who did not mention any names only said they made a miscalculation in 2015 while apologising to the people of Northern Senatorial District and Cross Riverians.
He added that he did what he did in 2015 because of the love and passion he has for the people of the North, but the mammoth crowd echoed “we don’t like him (Ayade).
But Imoke swiftly replied “please I didn’t mention anybody’s name, so there no need to mention any name here”, he said.
However the APC came hard on him (Liyel Imoke) based on the assertion that he made a miscalculation by making Ayade governor.
In a statement obtained by our correspondent, signed by the Publicity Secretary APC in Cross River, Erasmus Ekpang “Liyel Imoke’s Post Office Trauma and the Story of PDP Delusional Decampees”, described the statement by Imoke as senseless and appalling.
The statement partly reads: “We have received with appalling shock the senseless statement credited to the immediate past Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke alleging that “we” made Senator Prof. Ben Ayade Governor in 2015 and that it was his “mistake”.
“One will have imagined that such misgivings will be quickly debunked by the ‘former’ Governor but no, Imoke will say anything to be considered relevant and most importantly, he will continue to deceive all those whom he exploits for political relevance.
“To say he (Imoke) made Ayade Governor is abusing the tenets of our democracy, is to say that CrossRiverians did not vote, and their choices did not matter and he inadvertently decided the fate of the over 4 million CrossRiverians. How arrogant!
“It is impossible to think that a man who seeks to take glory for singlehandedly making one a Governor, should be taken seriously when anyone thinks of the PDP as one that practices internal democracy.
“What Imoke regrets is leaving office, not being addressed as Governor, not being worshipped and adored as usual by everyone, the impunity with which he decided who gets tickets and especially, sharing it to his friends and cronies throughout his eight-year reign as Governor.
Similarly, we consider the reports of some 5,000 defectors yesterday to PDP laughable; can the Cross River State Chapter of the PDP furnish the public with names of the 5,000 defectors? These are their usual lies from the pit of hell!
“The PDP will do anything to be considered to have followership is an indication that they still either haven’t woken up to the realities that they are now an opposition, or have decided to continue deceiving themselves.
“If anyone wants to take them seriously they should provide the list of the 5,000 defectors or stop misleading the media with pictures from the church congregations,” Ekpang stated
In their reaction on Tuesday, the People’s Democratic party,PDP, described the APC as unproductive party adding that Governor himself admitted that the PDP gave him the opportunity to be Senator ,governor and stood with him stressing that he still has great regards for the PDP.
In a statement “APC’s Position on Liyel Imoke : last kick of a dying horse”, made available to Vanguard signed by State Publicity Secretary of PDP , Prince Mike Ojisi disclosed that they failed in thier efforts to malign the person of His Excellency the former governor of Cross River, Sen. Liyel Imoke.
“The unproductive All Progressive Congress in Cross River state- the broom-wielding army of irreconcilable food-eaters, in an infantile, puerile,
incoherent and spurious release authored by a team of their fanatic rabble-rousers tried strenuously but failed in maligning and casting unnecessary aspersions on the character of Sen. Liyel Imoke, the Political Avatar and Leader of the PDP in the State.
“As a Party, we understand that it is impossible to beat a child and still deny him/her the benefit of shedding tears. We are very much aware that the APC is yet to get over the rude shock that visited them on the 24th of October, upon watching the overwhelming crowd
that graced the Thanksgiving ceremony of the people-centric, Sen. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, at Governor Ayade’s very backyard and their only hope for winning the 2023 General election.
“We also understand that the in that watery, inane and sloppy release,the author tried to earn his keep and massage the ego of his paymasters.
“We wish to heartily sympathize with him for taking the most tedious task that he has chosen for himself- at least, it’s not easy to spin and fabricate unfathomable lies.In their skullduggery attempt to malign the personality of His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke and the leadership of PDP,they successfully shot himself on the foot.
“Assuming without conceding that His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke alluded to the fact that “We”- that is,the PDP or himself (as used by the APC) and indeed CrossRiverians made Senator Ben
Ayade the governor of Cross River State, and in view of the statement made by Governor Ben Ayade on the 20th of May 2021, during an interactive session on “Politics Today”a current affairs programme on channels Television, wherein he made the following statement.
“PDP had stood with me. PDP gave me the opportunity to be a Senator, PDP
gave me the opportunity to be a Governor and I still have great regards for PDP”, one is now tempted to ask, whose interest is the APC is trying to protect?
“Is it the interest of the Governor that publicly acknowledged on National Television even after his defection that the PDP made him whatever he is today, His Excellency Senator Liyel Imoke only tried to lend credence to what Governor Ben Ayade admitted and said on National Television.
“Let us remind Gov. Ayade that Ingratitude is a sin and he has a life history of never appreciating those who have helped to lift him from the life of excruciating poverty to the commanding heights of power where he never dreamed possible and so is yet to reconcile himself with.
“We wam him again to be careful because the serial political misadventures that have visited him in the last one year are indicative that God is very unhappy with him. We join him to pray for God’s forgiveness.
“On the illogical claim by the sinking, APC that only 2 Persons defected from the APC into the PDP, we wish to state categorically that such statement can only come from a drowning man. It is indeed the last kick of a dying horse. While we understand that the APC is yet to recover from the rude shock after seeing mammoth crowd that decamped into the PDP.
“It is rather laughable that the APC is still asking for names of defectors when in Bekwarra Local Government Area alone, Barr. Akwaji Henry Omang. APC House of Assembly Candidate in 2019 Election, led over 500 decampees whose names are all over social media,into the PDP,” Ojisi stated.
