Sentry
ON Thursday, exactly six months after his Ebonyi State counterpart, David Umahi, left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers State finally bid the opposition party farewell and joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor’s defection didn’t come as a surprise as talk about his possible exit had been rife.
But that is not the news here. What is new is Sentry understands Prince Uche Secondus, national chairman of PDP, may pay for Ayade’s exit from his party with his position.
Following Ayade’s departure to APC, sources within the party claim many PDP leaders and chieftains are blaming for frustrating the governor out of the party.
Ayade had repeatedly complained about alleged maltreatment by the Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC).
Similarly, many party leaders, including serving and former governors, had urged Secondus to ensure that Ayade was not forced out of the PDP. Although the national chairman eventually made moves to placate the Cross River governor, it appeared his moves came a little too late. Now, Sentry learnt he has lost many of his die-hard supporters in the party ahead of an elective national convention.
Ayade announced his departure from the opposition PDP on Thursday while hosting six APC governors who visited him in Calabar, the state capital.
The visiting governors were Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Hope Uzodinma of Imo, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti.
Now, it is left to be seen how Secondus will shake off the fresh hostilities occasioned by the development and successfully retain his position.
Wabba: Who will bell the cat?
DURING the week, the Kaduna State Government declared President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba and some other leaders of the union wanted over the just suspended five-day warning strike which grounded socioeconomic activities in the state. Governor Nasir El- Rufai announced the move on his Twitter handle on Tuesday morning.
The governor said the labour leaders were declared wanted for economic sabotage and attacks on public infrastructure under Kaduna’s Miscellaneous Offences Act. He asked anyone who knew the whereabouts of Wabba and others to report to the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice. He assured such informants that they would be handsomely rewarded.
But Sentry gathered that Wabba remained in Kaduna, the state capital all through the period El-Rufai was looking for him. It was even gathered that he held meetings with law enforcement agencies and met with some representatives of the Federal Government during the period in review. Yet, he wasn’t arrested and taken to the governor in exchange for the ‘handsome reward.’
When Sentry asked why this was so, the common response was a popular rhetorical question – who will bell the cat? Anyway, the Federal Government has waded into the matter and called for dialogue. Now, the hunter and the hunted will seat at a table and talk.