Rerun Election: C’River Community Unites Against Ex-Speaker…Hired Assassins Go After Egbona’s Core Men

The people of Ekureku, Abi Local Government Area appear united for a cause ahead of next Saturday’s rerun election in Ekureku, Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State: to vote and retain the APC candidate, Dr Alex Egbona in the House of Representatives.
The court of appeal had ordered INEC to conduct a rerun in two wards of Ekureku. The commission fixed January 25 for the exercise, which is to be contested between Egbona and the PDP candidate, Mr John Gaul Lebo.
Most Ekureku people who spoke with TNN expressed their readiness to queue behind Egbona, against John Gaul. They described Egbona as a generous and straight forward person, with a passion to help the needy.
In separate interviews, the people said they were ready for the rerun and would use their PVC to make a statement in favour of the person they described as “a man with the heart of gold, who has touched the lives of scores of people in and outside our village.
According to Mr Raymond Ele, “Alex Egbona is not a typical politician. Across the state, it is difficult to find a politician who is like him. That is why all of us in this village have decided to resist all advances from the PDP agents in government. We stand by our own man.”
This is coming just as the Crown Prince and Eval Kpokor of Ekulekwe, Clan Head-Elect of Akarafor, Eval Bennard Adaka on behalf of the entire chiefs of Ekureku have declared the support of the people for Egbona.
The clan head said in an interview with some journalists that “for the first time that an Ekureku man who has been helping Adadama, Itigidi and beyond to get their elections right, but right now the first Ekureku man to attempt into the House of Reps, forces around want to scuttle the election which will not work because we are solidly behind our son.
“Ekureku needs to keep Alex in the House of Reps so that we will be recognized, which we have been denied all along. If we don’t vote in our numbers for Alex and only Alex, it means we don’t know where we are going to, we need to make Alex succeed in this election.
“This election is the livewire of Ekureku, we don’t need any other thing for now than the success of that election because according to the Bible, ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God and every other thing shall be added unto you.’
“So what we in Ekureku are saying is, seek ye first the success of Alex Egbona in this coming election because every other thing will be added unto us. We are hoping to get a federal polytechnic which is already on the floor of the house. So we need the success of Egbona Alex because he will be the one to shoot us out to the world.”
He also spoke on speculations of a planned invasion of Ekureku before and during the election, saying “they want to plant seed of discord, they want those things happening in our nearby communities to be transported into our community which is piteous.
“We don’t want that in Ekureku. However, since they want to send in thugs, I don’t think we will condone it because they are not supposed to be other persons who are not from Ekureku in Ekureku on the 25th of this month. We want only Ekureku to do the election. Ekureku shall vote their son 100 per cent. There shall be no other vote to any other political party other than APC.
“Our vigilante men should police the entire community and report anyone found to be a stranger in Ekureku to law enforcement agencies. I don’t advocate for jungle justice, there should be peace in Ekureku so that all our votes will count.
“Alex is the only one that is to win the election. So I am wishing him success ahead of his victory. In fact, success in the election is his New Year gift from God because he has won the election in the past and other forces want to truncate it. So, I wish him success even in my sleep.”
Meanwhile, a member of the state working committee of the APC, Mr Gowon Igiri has raised the alarm over plots to kidnap and assassinate him. He is accusing some agents of a political party as well as some people in government.
In a letter to security agencies in the state, Igiri said the plan was to take him and other core supporters of the APC out of the way, so as to frustrate and weaken the party, before the January 25 election.