BY: Nick Nwaneri, Calabar .
The gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party in Cross River State, Chief Ernest Joes Obasse,
is blowing hot over the alleged substitution of his name with that of the factional chairman of the party, Amb. Ogar Osim Obu.
A statement issued and signed by him, expressed shock at the behaviour of Osim whom he described “as someone without scruples but never expected him to get to such levels.
He however pleaded with his supporters to remain calm as he would use the instrumentality of the law to reclaim his mandate.
He claimed to have been elected as the candidate of Labour Party in a primary election that was witnessed by relevant stakeholders and the media.
Chief Obasse challenged Osim to produce evidence that he passed through any form of primary election to warrant his name being on INEC list of candidates by producing the date, venue and attendees at the so-called primaries.
He further challenged the legality of Osim’s faction as he claims the leadership of the party in Cross River State was vested on Comrade Godwin Amoikwen since 2020 after the resignation of the former acting Chairman, Comrade Joseph Inde.
He accused Osim of impropriety, by substituting his name with the full intention of later selling it to the highest bidder.
He threatened that besides the court action already instituted to determine the authentic leadership of the party in the state, law enforcement agencies will be co-opted to investigate and unravel the identities of those responsible for this electoral fraud.
According to him “no stone will be left unturned in fishing out those responsible for Ogar Osim’s alleged emergence as factional chairman and also those who smuggled his name on the INEC list of governorship candidates.
“He has never at any time been a member of the party nor a member of any union. So who are those within the party who aided in foisting a total stranger on a party that already had a functional leadership?
He maintained that; “nobody at the party level nor at INEC will be spared the full weight of the law if indicted in this scam of illegal substitution of my name and the expected sale of the governorship ticket to the highest bidder.”
All efforts to speak with Osim was rebuffed while the PRO of INEC in Cross River State could not be reached on phone as at the time of filing this report.
