Crisis Rocks APC in Cross River state …over nomination list of 20

By Our Reporter

he nomination of 20 people across all the local government council wards in Cross River for appointment by Gov. Bassey Otu is rocking the foundation of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that out of the 20 nominees, only those with educational qualification not below Higher National Diploma, HND, would benefit from the expected appointment into boards, parastatals and MDAs, while others with lesser qualifications would be deemed fit for empowerment packages.

A source within the party hinted our correspondent that initially, the state government requested for only three names per ward, out of which, one must be a female to ensure gender equality, and the heat generated during the process of selecting the three names forced the party to increase the number from three to 20.

The source further hinted that even with the 20 names per ward, those who could not make the list are still raising dusts and crying loud that they have been marginalised. An APC stalwart in Akpabuyo LGA in the southern senatorial district informed our correspondent on condition of anonymity that the crisis erupting from the nomination process for the 20 names have generated a lot of dust and at the moment efforts are being geared towards managing the situation to avoid further rancour and mistrust among party faithful.

The APC stalwart explained further that the most delicate aspect of the crisis is the issue that bothers on ward delineation between Bakassi and Akpabuyo LGAs. According to the APC Chieftain, during elections the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, transmitted electoral results from three Ikang wards in Bakassi LGA to Akpabuyo LGA, while in reality votes from the three controversial wards in Bakassi should have been captured by INEC as votes from Bakassi constituency.

He stated that the greatest headache facing the party now in the area is how to handle the people of the three Ikang wards in the selection of the 20 names meant for appointments and empowerment programmes.

The Beagle News spoke to a number of APC bigwigs who confirmed that actually the party caucus in Bakassi was insensitive in their approach on how to manage a fragile matter like that, as there is no basis to request the people of the three Ikang wards who are domiciled in Bakassi LGA to submit the list of their nominees to Akpabuyo chapter of the party.

On the other hand, it was also wrong for Akpabuyo LGA caucus of the party to reject their brothers from these wards on the basis that they play Bakassi politics while in reality their votes are always counted by INEC as votes cast by Akpabuyo LGA electorates, the APC Chieftain further narrated.

Meanwhile the issue has been referred to the state exco of the party and both Bakassi and Akpabuyo chapter caucus of the party have been directed to forward their inputs to enable the state exco resolve the crisis amicably.