Gov Otu Wades Into Party Fight, Calls For Truce... Reels Out Appointments tomorrow

By Victor UDU

To forestall any breach of peace in the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress in the state, Governor Bassey Otu has waded into the brewing trouble in the APC, Cross River asking all warring parties to sheathe their Swords. 

With this intervention from the governor and leader of the party in the state calm, has gradually returned but not without grumblings from quarters who felt it was right time for change of baton.

According to The Beagle News findings, this is one of the outcomes of the Stakeholders meeting which was held in Calabar weekend at the instance of the embattled state Chairman, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, Esq.

The APC in the state have known no peace for many weeks owing to a call for suspension and resignation of the party Chairman by a group which calls itself, APC Stakeholders Forum.

This has attracted other notable aliances to not only support the removal of the Chairman but the entire Executive Council since according to them Eba did not act in isolation but with their collective advice and support.

Eba was accused of contravening certain articles of the APC constitution including high handedness, disrespect and failing to secure victory for the party in the last by-election in the northern senatorial district, among other misdemeanors.

However Eba has resisted that move saying that the So called APC Stakeholders Forum was illegal and a gathering of hungry people seeking for attention.

He stated categorically that such group cannot sack him from Office unless their accusations were in line with the APC constitution as regards discipline.

Earlier than now governor Bassey Otu has called for truce in the fight but the factions could not wait any longer when Eba went ahead to invite his supporters across the state to a meeting which now triggered the aggrieved members to stage a peaceful protest to the Party secretariat at the Murtala Mohammed highway, Calabar because they felt Eba disregarded the governor's advice to them all.

The governor's latest move is seen by Members of the party as welcoming and timely to stop the crises in the party from tearing the party apart when they should be receiving decampees from other parties.

Following Governor Bassey Otu 's intervention, it is expected as already announced and published in many fora that the governor Tuesday would reel out thousands of appointments to douse the tension further and keep Stakeholders focused on the path of building the state.

The state APC Chairman Alphonsus Eba, is of the agreement that this appointments would put food on the table and make people think decently.

Meanwhile The Beagle News has observed that there's so much anxiety in the land as many are waiting anxiously for their names in the coming list but the governor has stated that the appointments would be by merit and "not free of charge ".

Whatever the governor's statement mean, Stakeholders are of the opinion that this move will address many issues threatening the peace in the APC.