BY: VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
Following the recent Supreme Court judgement on Exco list where some section of the party is claiming control, some members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Akamkpa Ward of Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River state, have issued a warning to National Assembly members to stay clear and stop causing division among party members.
Speaking on their behalf, a stalwart of the party, Hon. Victor Effiom Ekpo, recently said at Akpap- Okoyong capital of Akamkpa Ward in Odukpani local government area of the state that the warning became necessary as some members in the National Assembly EXCO list who won in the Supreme Court came to denounce their membership pledging their loyalty to the governor, Senator Ben Ayade.
It would be recalled that the state chapter of the party has been in crisis following the local government and ward congresses that was conducted last year, 2020. The crises has delayed the congress and causing rift between the National Assembly members and the state governor.
Ekpo who is also the state Managing Director of Water Board Limited, said some members of the National Assembly have been causing rift in Akamkpa ward with their so called “AUTHENTIC” list which recently won the judgment in Supreme Court.
PDP members at the meeting
He said the only list recognized by the Akamkpa ward is the list from the state governor, noting that “Ayi Etim Effiom led EXCO remained the Ward EXCO of Akamkpa Ward”.
He called on the attention of the National Chairman of PDP and the National Working Committee stating that Effiom’s EXCO is the only solution for PDP to remain in Akamkpa Ward.
Ekpo who asked the Senator representing Cross River South Senatorial in the senate and some other National Assembly members to stay clear of Akamkpa ward said “you may have judgment from Supreme Court, you may have from Appeal court but you will remain there with your court judgment. What we are saying as the people of Akamkpa ward is that Ayi Etim Effiom’s led EXCO remains and will forever remain the ward EXCO of Akamkpa ward. If they have a list, their list and their EXCO will be in Abuja, not here in Akamkpa ward”.
“I am speaking as a party stalwart, a man who fought and conquered this ward for PDP. I want to draw the attention of the National Chairman and the NOS of the PDP National Working Committee to this press interview, if you want PDP to exist in Akamkpa ward, Ayi Etim Effiom is the solution, no other name”.
“The National Assembly members that emerged as members who could not pay delegates for their second term should not come and cause chaos in Akamkpa ward. We remain one united strong PDP. I want to also sound a warning, this National Assembly people, please, you have tried to divide us, and we don’t want them again, he warned”.
While addressing the repentant members from the authentic list, Effiom who shares the same surname with his ward Chairman said, “We stand to be here from our busy schedule to welcome those of you that your names were wrongly mentioned into this list”.
“Some of you are here to tender your apologies that you were mentioned as ward chairman, woman leader on this so called (thimothentic) list, we want to welcome you back to the party once again and we want to forgive you and assure you that nobody will sit in the UK, in Abuja and form ward EXCO for you. You are all leaders in your various polling units. You sat down here, you brought names to us and these names become SUPER AUTHENTIC and no body, I repeat, nobody will gather anywhere to do authentic list. You don’t have anything called authentic so we hereby abolish anything called authentic list from the National Assembly and we are here to say that it is only Senator Professor Ben Ayade’s list that stands, the PDP stalwart said”.
A cross section of PDP members at the meeting.
In the same vain, another member, an aide to the Governor, Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Eyo Ita tasked the people not to allow any division amongst for the purpose of the party.
“The idea as one family to work together for the success of this party, for the success of Akamkpa ward and to work together for the success of our digital governor and at large, We have never fought before, probably we have disagreed on tin lines but as God will have it, we are here as brothers and sisters of this ward. We want you to have confidence in yourself, the governor, Senator Ben Ayade and have confidence in the party called People’s Democratic Party (PDP)”.
“Forget about those noise you are hearing, they are mere distraction. PDP is a family. Those that called themselves thimotentic, where were they when we fought here in the last general elections? They were all in the opposition, today they are coming from another party to do a list for us in PDP, we will not agree to such things. We will not allow anyone to come from somewhere to take what belongs to us and try to give it to another person”.
“As a family, the umbrella is big enough, we will welcome all of them that have come back, and they said they were not aware of it that their name was in the sore called authentic list and today, some of them have denounced their membership in the list and as a family, we welcome you back, Ita stated”.
