As a direct fallout from ongoing primaries conducted by the APC in Cross River State, aggrieved members of the party who felt undermined by the leadership of the party in the state are going into alliance discussions with opposition forces in the state.
Their plot is to stay within the party and stage a revenge, especially against the re-election of the governor, Senator Bassey Otu. They are particularly angry that the governor did not allow for fair and transparent processes for the selection of candidates.
While some plan to remain in the party and work against its interest, others have chosen to identify publicly with opposition political parties to achieve the same objective. They have vowed to revenge for what they call the governor’s draconian and undemocratic style of leadership.
Till now, the dust is yet to settle in many of the state and federal constituencies, where the people alleged that the governor imposed his will on them. In the Cross River Central senatorial district, for example, the battle between Senator Eteng Jones and Mr Oden Ewa is yet to be resolved.
Whereas the party had announced the disqualification of Ewa, believed to enjoy the support of the governor, but was announced winner of the primaries, Jone s is still fighting, with support from the Abuja front, for the same ticket.
In the south, there are also those who have vowed to stop the governor from producing his step son, Edem Dominic Bassey, as member of the House of Representatives.
The same group is also aligning with those in the PDP, ADC and the NDC, to unseat Otu. The PDP is bringing Arthur Jarvis as its candidate while Edem Ekong is being expected to fly the flag of the NDC. Ekong has since picked his expression of interest form.
It is yet unclear who the ADC would be fielding for the position. But a former governor of the state, Senator Liyel Imoke and a former Senator Gershom Bassey, both in the ADC, are expectedly working hard to frustrate Otu.
TNN learnt that in the coming weeks, a grand opposition coalition would be coming together to work against the return of the governor, with the support of aggrieved APC members.
