The Peoples Democratic Party Cross River State chapter has urged APC Candidate for Northern Senatorial District, Gov Ben Ayade to focus on preparing his handover note while calling on him to forget about pursuing a Senatorial aspiration.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Publicity Secretary of the Party, Mike Ojisi described the governor’s ambition as one with apparent challenges while urging him to read the handwriting on the wall and save himself the unnecessary stress and embarrassment.
They stated: “The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, wishes to advise Governor Ben Ayade to see the handwriting on the wall and save himself unnecessary embarrassment and stress of contesting for the Senate seat against a renowned performer like Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe.
“Given the reality of the new electoral
Act and the recent judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, which sacked Governor Dave Umahi as Senatorial Candidate of APC in Ebonyi State,
“We advise Governor Ben Ayade to learn from the misfortunes of his colleague, who shares the same political conflict with him being in all fours with his situation having contested unsuccessfully for the Presidential ticket of the APC and losing woefully.We urge him not to waste our state funds in pursuing inordinate ambition and save himself some dignity.
“As a Governor with an abysmal record of performance, we enjoin him to concentrate more on preparing his handover notes, which from all intents and purposes will be a herculean
task, given the opaque government he ran for over 7years without due process, without records of expenditure approvals and uncountable allegations of malfeasance.
“For the benefit of doubt, we wish to reiterate that our party is ready to meet the Governor and his few enfeebled foot soldiers in the field, in the event that he succeeds in buying his way through the court.
“As always, the people of Northern Senatorial District are eagerly waiting to
send a message of protest against him by voting massively and returning Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe back to the Senate in 2023,”the statement read.
When contacted the Deputy Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ben Ayade, Mr Linus Obogo said that the achievements of past PDP administrations pales in significance when compared with what Ayade has achieved with less resources.
According to him :” Ayade has established the over 35 industries and factories including a 23 megawatts power plant along Parliamentary Road.
There’s another gas-fired 26 megawatts power plant in Adiabo.
“Let PDP list projects the executed in 18 years to justify the huge debt burden they placed on the state.
“The PDP can’t hold a candle to Ayade and as such are on an inexorable path to extinction in Cross River , If they were confident, they shouldn’t be begging Ayade not to contest. They’re worried about the imminent trouncing in the 2023 elections.
The party (PDP) should more concerned about the hemorrhaging currently plaguing it, as it members are emptying themselves into the APC. This should worry the party more at this time of elections, ” Obogo said .