The Leader of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Asuquo Ekpenyong, has dismissed as malicious and misleading a report that portrayed him as an aggrieved lawmaker working against Governor Bassey Edet Otu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued on Saturday, Asuquo said he had no grievance against the governor and remained fully committed to the success of the APC in the state.
“I wish to set the records straight and categorically dissociate myself from any suggestion that I am aggrieved with the Governor or have made any commitment to work against him or any candidate of our great party,” he stated.
The lawmaker explained that a recent meeting he attended in Abuja with some members of the House of Assembly and the leadership of the “Relax Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria” group was not a gathering of disloyal legislators. He said he and his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Dr Davies Etta, used the opportunity to correct any wrong impression arising from an earlier engagement involving some colleagues.
Asuquo noted that a day before the Abuja meeting, he had held an extensive and productive discussion with Governor Otu. He described it as difficult to understand how he could emerge from such a meeting only to be labelled an opponent of the same leader.
He recalled that the governor, who hails from the same local government area, supported his emergence as Leader of the 10th Assembly. “By the grace of God, I was entrusted with the responsibility of leading the 10th Cross River State House of Assembly through the magnanimity and support of His Excellency, Governor Bassey Edet Otu. I do not take that privilege for granted,” he said.
Asuquo further disclosed that the governor’s wife is his aunt, adding that the family and community ties made suggestions of disloyalty particularly unfortunate.
Listing projects executed in his constituency under the Otu administration, the lawmaker mentioned a new town hall at Atan Okoyong, rehabilitation of primary schools at Akani Obio Okoyong and Ikot Ebiti, as well as several solar-powered boreholes with reticulation in communities including Atan Okoyong, Coffee Adiabo Ikot Otu (Tinapa) and Ediong.
“With such level of love and support, how can I then think of not supporting his second term ambition?” he asked.
Asuquo declared that his loyalty to the APC remained intact and that he would mobilise support across his polling unit, ward and local government area to deliver a 5/5 victory for the party.
He urged the media and the public to verify information and avoid creating unnecessary divisions within the party, insisting that political engagement should not be automatically interpreted as rebellion.
