…Governor may soon defect to APC
From Judex Okoro, Calabar
With approximately two years and three months to 2019 general elections, politicians in Cross River state are already strategising ahead of the polls
Horse trading, intrigues and discreet scheming are already on, with major political actors, across party lines, holding nocturnal meetings both at home and in Abuja, with a view to align and re-align, ahead of 2019. The political happenings in the state so far, are clear indications that the race to Peregrino Government House in the next dispensation may not be an easy ride for anyone, including the incumbent governor, Prof. Ben Ayade.
Politics in PDP began after the last Congress
In the party’s usual characteristics manner, all congresses have always brought divisions and acrimony among party members. The 2016 congress, was therefore not different. But it also seems to have created a bigger crack within the leadership of the party.
The crisis, political observers believe, may soon explode, following the alleged “imposition” of persons into the various positions in the ward, chapter and state congresses, held in May 2016.
Across the 18 local government and 196 wards of Cross River state, from Akpabuyo through Calabar South to Odukpani local government up to Etung and Bekwara local government areas, stakeholders and elected members of the State and National Assembly, had cried foul over alleged marginalisation in the congress processes.
For instance, majority of the party stakeholders in the state were relegated to the background during the exercise, as most of them had no input into who became their Ward or Council party chairmen.
But in spite of the complaints, Governor Ben Ayade believes that the decision was a popular one among party faithful. This position was reinforced in his speech at the U J Esuene Stadium, venue of the state congress, held on Tuesday, May 10, 2016.
He had said “we had a consensus, we had a bit of understanding, we had to consult; it was democratically done.
“We also know that PDP has a culture of dominating Cross River state because when we resolve all our disputes, we resolve in favour of equity, we resolve in favour of justice, we resolve in favour of history of hard work and commitment to the party. What we have done, there’s slight generational shift, but we focused on retaining old hands that have experience to bring the young ones on the screen.”
However, his speech appears not have calm frayed nerves, as some stakeholders, including members of the State and National Assembly, are still bitter till date, over the turn of events.
Those in this category are said to be watching the unfolding drama with their eyes wide open, so as not to be caught napping by what they described as a “calculated attempt to send them out of politics.” To them, they are still in limbo, but watching with keen interest and tinkering with various options, regarding their political future.
But the foundation members of the party are scared stiff at the complete takeover of the party by the governor’s hatchet men, ostensibly to give room for new generation of leaders. To them, it is a move to checkmate and whittle down their influence on the party. Expectedly, the development is responsible for the “no love lost between ‘Oga’ and some key chieftains of the party,” Daily Sun, gathered.
However, even when the new party exco was believed to have been put in place by the governor, the party has since become a shadow of itself. Investigations by Daily Sun, revealed that the party is presently in dire straits.
For instance, Daily Sun learnt that, despite having a sitting governor, funding is one of PDP’s major challenge, to the extent that the party can no longer pay the rent on the property, housing its party secretariat.
An insider source admitted that the rent expired since September last year and they don’t have money to pay the annual N8m rent, which made the owner of the property, one Mr. Ausquo, to threaten to eject them from the property.
Since PDP state officials came on board, the statutory monthly deductions from political office holders’ salaries, which is one of the sources of revenue for the party, have not been remitted to the leadership, despite that their pay slips indicate that it has been deducted from the Office of the Accountant General of the State.
“Sometimes, the exco members cry and genuflect before their monthly salaries are paid, “ another source said, adding that,” in some cases, it accumulates to two months before they get it.
“This has totally stalled some of the programmes the new leadership intend embarking on to rejig the party at the grassroots level.”
To overcome the challenge of paucity fund, Daily Sun gathered, the exco members were said to have initiated a discreet meeting with members of the National Assembly on the issue.
After discussing with them, the lawmakers told them to come over to Abuja for a meeting on the way forward since they (lawmakers) don’t have confidence in the new exco as they didn’t have any input into their emergence.
But the party chairman, Mr Inok Edim, kicked against it, apparently because he was afraid of the backlash.
“So, that ended the romance between state exco and members of the National Assembly , thereby further crippling the party financially, “ the sources, added.
Even during the last Yuletide, the party leadership, it was learnt, had no largesse from the government for their members, neither did they receive the usual patronage from elected officials, from both members of State and National Assembly .
However, after much complaints, they were given 35 bags of rice while an associate of the governor gave them N1m.
According to one of the sources , “the governor only showed concern to us during the Supreme Court case. Then he promised so many things including operational vehicles for members of the state executive, but none has been fulfilled till date. We suspect that he is gradually grounding the party, preparatory to his rumoured defection to the rival APC.”
Power play ahead of 2019
There are speculations that Governor Ayade, would defect to the ruling APC. To this end, series of strategic meetings, have been held and are still being held, both in the PDP and the APC to that effect. But while some APC chieftains are said to be privy to the arrangement, regarding Ayade’s defection, some aggrieved PDP stakeholders are said to be waiting on the wings before unfolding their own political game plan.
Sources close to Ayade’s political strategic team disclosed to Daily Sun that the governor would have defected on January 10, this year. But the occasion was deferred due to some irreconcilable differences with some key political actors in the state. For now, no new date has been fixed.
However, political observers in the state believe that the governor’s body is in PDP while his soul is in APC, adding that “his subterranean romance as well as closeness with some APC top shots within and outside the state and the underfunding of the PDP, are all indications that the stage is set for a political re-alignment,” a source said .
Other sources were of the view that the governor’s conspicuous presence at Mr. Usani Usani, the Minister of Niger Delta’s Thanksgiving service, held in Calabar, in December last year, and the state’s carnival contingent to the Imo 2016 carnival, are tell-tale signs that the governor, was far gone.
And they also use the governor’s absence, from most activities of some PDP big wigs, like Senators John Owan Eno and Rose Oko of Central and Northern senatorial districts, respectively, to buttress their position.
Interestingly, some of the cabinet members from the central senatorial zone confided in Daily Sun that they could not openly identify with Senator Eno because they no longer understand the governor’s body language , since he no longer attends PDP Governors Forum’s meetings, fuelling speculations that he must have left the party in spirit.
But some PDP members are also waiting anxiously on the wings for the governor to defect, so that they could re-group, pick the pieces and move on.
PDP dismisses defection moves
Reacting to the development, the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Egbung Odama, said “those who think that our digital governor is moving to anywhere are day-dreamers. Political opponents are everywhere even with the party and they are the ones behind the speculation. Did they not say that he will pack
out after December 9, yet he emerged victorious?
“There is nothing they have not said about our governor. All I can tell you is that nothing of such has been discussed with our exco members and we are intact. If APC wants him let them rather cross over because I know he will lead us right, especially at this crucial time the state is undergoing re-engineering in all sectors. So I urge all party members and people of the state to disregard such rumours.”
Corroborating Odama’s position, the Special Adviser to the governor on Inter Party Affairs, Mr. Austine Ibok, said “I disagree totally that Oga wants to move to any political party because, first and foremost, he belongs to so many people and would have confided in us, if anything of such was happening. But this, he has not done.
“I can tell you that it is speculation because they have not been anything from his part to show he wants to move to the APC. Let me tell you, as it is today, Oga is a bride to any political party including PDP and APC, especially after the Supreme Court victory. Am sure that those APC members carrying the rumour are rather inviting him to come, but my advice to them is to wait for the time.”
Ibok further argued that the constitution has not restricted anybody especially those in executive position from defecting. But for now, no dice, as he still remains a staunch member of the PDP.
Dismissing the allegation that Ayade, these days attends functions organised by the APC as a fluke, the Special Adviser said, “Once you’re a governor of a state, you’re a governor of all, as he is not relating with the APC as a party, nor does he attends their meetings . Or is there any document to show he is moving to APC? ”
According to the former Labour Party chairman in the state, the governor was open to so many invitations by elder statesmen, and Usani Usani is one, by virtue of being a minister from the state, even though he is of the APC.
He further argued that since there was an opposition party at the federal and considering the gigantic projects the governor was embarking on, he needs to court the friendship of persons at the centre and certain stakeholders that could speak for him when issues affecting the state come up at that level. “So, the governor is playing some kind of politics that I can play if I am in his shoes, especially at this stage when our allocation is at zero level and with no big IGR base. So how do people want us to survive if we go ahead to fight the Centre? It is not done and that is why I keep preaching that politics come to play during elections. Immediately after elections, and the winner is declared, governance starts,” he, added.
He is welcome in APC
Reacting to the issue of defection by political actors, the Vice Chairman of APC, central senatorial zone, Hon. Cletus Obun, said “the defection of a governor to another party is ordinarily the catching of a big fish in political parlance. But the value of such a governor is also very significant . As it stands today, what is the value that would be added to APC if Governor Ben Ayade defects? “I can, however, tell you that he is from Obudu local government area and all the political big-wigs from that community are in APC already and have gone ahead to recruit all manners of people to populate the area and possibly checkmate PDP.
“So, the coming of Ayade into APC, for me, has no gain. There is so much hype about the defection because the crimping and dying legacy of PDP, where governors were made semi and demi-gods have been eroded and quashed by the systematic erosion of the powers of the governors which APC represents. Now the power has been handed over to the people.”
Explaining that APC now operates like a church, the former member of the State House of Assembly said the APC was for all comers who want to come and “pray and fellowship or join.”
He, however said, “If Ayade is coming to APC, why should anybody start putting road blocks and checkpoints ? The leadership of the party have shown that expanding the party, like a company requires more and more shareholders, to make it remain in business. This is important . So, if our governor is going to be a shareholder and going to add value to the system and company in the state, so be it. We have no objections to it.
“Those who have something to hide and are small minded enough to think that they must hold empires and be provincial champions, are the ones likely to oppose it. But that then will mean we are not running a party that wants to win an election. So, he is welcome,” he stated.