By Chidi Levi
A former chairman of Cross River state SUBEB, Dr.Steve Odey, and loyalist of the state Governor , Professor Ben Ayade, Saturday emerged candidate of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, for the state’s Northern Senatorial bye election scheduled for next month.
Odey beat a sitting member of the House of Representatives, Hon.Agom Jarigbe Agom, described as the arrowhead of the insurrection in the state’s PDP, with 450 votes to emerge victorious.
Odey’s victory brings to a climax, crisis within the state chapter of the party.
Some members of the National Assembly from the state, allegedly funded and backed by a South South PDP governor, are insistent on hijacking the party’s structure from Professor Ayade.
However, party stakeholders within and outside the state, including former Governor Liyel Imoke, insist Ayade is the leader of the party in Cross River, and must be accorded that recognition.
The primary election seems to have opened a new vista in the dispute within the Cross River PDP as the said South south PDP Governor is? allegedly, bent on having his way as to who flies the party’s flag in the bye election.
This, the magazine was told, accounted for Jarigbe’s claim of victory.
It was learnt that when it became apparent to him that he was headed for defeat, Jarigbe stormed out of the Ogoja council secretariat, venue of the primary election, in company with a handful of his supporters, and relocated to a venue, said to be his private resident in the city.
A video footage where he was announced winner of the exercise by an unidentified man has since been circulating.
Our source speaks of the primary: “Jarigbe was at the venue when the election started, he exchanged pleasantries with the electoral observers and the INEC officers.
“He was accredited to participate in the process
When he discovered that he was losing and his opponent was wining, he jumped down from his seat and left the election venue with frustration”.
This magazine could not confirm if INEC officials, representatives of the national secretariat of the PDP, and representatives of security agencies were present in the parallel gathering that produced Jarigbe, but the exercise at Ogoja council headquarters was witnessed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Chairman of the electoral panel, Hon Olorogun Taleb Tebite, described the process as peaceful and orderly.
He declared Odey as the winner of the primary election having scored the highest number of votes.
One of the INEC officials who observed the primaries, Mr. Amula Timotheus, expressed satisfaction with the exercise.
He said the exercise was conducted in line with INEC guidelines and was therefore, satisfactory.
On his part, the state governor, Sir Ben Ayade, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise.
The governor, who spoke moments after casting his vote lauded the peaceful atmosphere under which the election was held.
He also commended INEC for playing their observatory role adequately.
Governor Ayade said the election was a family affair as all the candidates are members of the PDP family in the state.
He assured that the party will work together in their collective interest to win the general election.
Meanwhile, factions in the Cross River All Progressives Congress, APC have produced different candidates for the Cross River North senatorial bye election.
While a faction produced the outgoing Vice Chancellor of University of Calabar, Professor Zana Akpagu, the other has as its candidate, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former PDP gubernatorial aspirant, Joe Agi.
Both men are laying claim to the APC senatorial ticket but Peter Inyali, Media Coordinator for the Zana Akpagu campaign organisation, insists his principal is the bonafide candidate of the party.
Cross River North’s seat in the Senate became vacant in April, following the death of its representative,Senator Rose Okoh.
INEC has fixed October 31st for the bye election to replace the deceased Senator.
