Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade has been accused of imposing a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, Peter Odey Agbe as the running mate to the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Otu Bassey.

This contained in a petition the Cross River State Council For Good Governance (CRSCGG) addressed to the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, insisting that Odey “is a member of the main opposition just before he was nominated as the deputy governorship candidate.”

The petition, signed by the Chairman of CRSCGG, Mr. James Udoh and its Secretary, Emmanuel Akpan, asked the APC national chairman, claiming that Odey’s name was not found in the register of Cross River APC.

A court affidavit sworn at the Federal High Court sitting Abuja by Ekanem Asoquo had revealed: “Peter Odey Agbe is a registered member of the PDP and was hitherto sponsored by the PDP to contest the state House of Assembly election in 2023.”

Consequently, the group petitioned the APC national chairman, claiming that the PDP had issued Udoh and Akpan the certificate of returns having won the election to represent his state constituency in the state.

The petition argued that the group “has checked the membership register of the APC in his ward and as the time of their petition, Otu and Odey are still members of the PDP.”

The petition also claimed that Odey’s name “is not found in the register of the APC. Yet, he was imposed on the governorship candidate as his running mate.

“They know it as a fact that even when the APC caretaker committee extended their registration of exercise to all intending members that Odey Agbe never registered or revalidated his membership of the APC, thus retaining his membership of the PDP

“That this is a ploy to by the governor to cause the APC to lose the forthcoming gubernatorial election and ensure that he wins his senatorial election at the next National Assembly election in the state,” the petition claimed.

The petition therefore cited sections 29 (1) and 84 of the Electoral Act and articles 2, 7(iv),(iv) (viii)(ix)(xii) and (xiii), 9 and 31 of the APC Constitution to fault the nomination of Odey as the deputy governorship candidate.

The petition explained that the APC governorship candidate “is helpless to protest because of the fear of the support of Ayade.”

The petition asked the APC national chairman “to address this anomaly before the August 8 date for the substitution of all candidates in the governorship election across the country.

“The is true that you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. Peter Odey is not a legitimate member of APC. He denied being a member in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/976/2021.”

“By extension to his own averments in the above suit, he has demonstrated bad faith in accepting to deputise Otu. Having denied being a member of a political party, he is now shamelessly parading himself as a member. What a political summersault by Odey.

“You cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time. You cannot blow hot and cold. It is on record and the evidence is there that Odey, a stooge to the governor in an attempt to please the governor defected with the governor to APC and when sued by the PDP, he swore on oath that he is still a member of PDP.” (THISDAY: Text, excluding headline)

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