Fresh controversy has emerged over claims by the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Mr Peter Odey, that all disputes surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidacy for Cross River Central Senatorial District have been resolved. In a statement issued on Monday, Odey disclosed that a meeting convened at his residence at the instance of Governor Bassey Otu had settled the disagreement over the party's senatorial ticket and that all pending court cases had been withdrawn. The deputy governor also called on party supporters in the district to rally behind the APC candidate, Hon. Oden Ewa, ahead of the forthcoming election. However, an authoritative sources close to the reconciliation process have dismissed the claims, insisting that discussions are still at an early stage and that the legal battle involving Senator Eteng Jonah Williams remains before the court. The sources maintained that the peace initiative merely resulted in an initial meeting between the pa...
This may come as a shock to some people, but I have said it repeatedly that Governor Bassey Otu is likely to win Biase Local Government Area based on his goodwill, performance likewise ongoing projects and not because of the strength of the political structure in the LGA. The Governor enjoys considerable public goodwill, and that, in my opinion, remains his greatest political asset in Biase. However, I do not believe the journey to victory will be as smooth as it could have been if the party structure was more united. Unfortunately, many of the APC leaders in Biase appear to spend more time fighting both opponents and fellow party members than building a cohesive political family. The division between those perceived to be in the “Governor’s camp” and those outside it continues to deepen, despite His Excellency’s repeated emphasis on the People First Agenda. To my knowledge Biase is one of the few local governments where there has been little visible effort to reconcile par...