Crisis as APC Ondo, Cross River State chapters reject nominees for NDDC Board appointments

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo and Cross River States chapters have rejected the nominees for appointment as representatives of the states in the newly constituted Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately remove and replace them, while urging the National Assembly not to clear them if they are presented for clearance.

The list of the Board and Management nominees was recently announced by President Bola Tinubu but crisis has erupted over the inclusion of the names of some individuals in the list.

The APC, Cross River State chapter, for instance, has outrightly, rejected the nomination Mr. Asu Oku Okang, describing him as “a diehard PDP member, a known persecutor of our party, an enemy of APC, unrepentant political opponent of our party who in the last 2023 general elections destroyed our members properties, fought them, injured and almost killed our members in Etung Local Government Area of CRS.”

Stressing that it was “shocking, annoying, appalling, revolting, abnormal, and politically suicidal for us in APC Cross River State to see the name” of Okang on the “list of a Grade A (NDDC) board which is meant to reward loyal members of our party who sacrificed their resources, energy and time to ensure the victory of our party and all our candidates including our amiable President,” the party said the inclusion of Okang’s name in the list “will not only kill the enthusiasm of our members but it will torpedo our party.”

Their statement, by Hon. Emmanuel Edem Inyang JP, Assistant Publicity Secretary, said further that “the APC, Cross River State chapter in the strongest of terms rejects, disowns, and disassociates itself from the said list,” stressing that “if this is an innocent mistake on the part of those saddled with the responsibility of constituting Federal boards and Agencies, we humbly call on them to please correct this grievous error by removing, deleting and erasing the name of Mr. Asu Oku Okang as Representative of Cross River State on the board of NDDC.

“While the party patiently awaits Mr. President and the National Chairman of the party to resolve the recently orchestrated injustice done to CRS in relation to the office of National Women Leader in denying CRS’s Hon. Dr Mrs. Stella Oreme Odey Ekpo at the expense of Edo state, it will amount to aggravated injury and an unpardonable amnesia if a known enemy of our party, Mr. Asu Oku Okang whose principal is at the tribunal against us is rewarded with such an important and impactful board that is meant to renew the hope of faithful members of the party.

“We want to humbly appeal to Mr. President to put his sagacious mind and attention on some strange, obnoxious, pestilential and diabolical development in Cross River State being perpetuated by some persons who are out to create disaffection amongst party leadership and unnecessary political crisis in the only APC State in the south south region.

“We also want to appeal to the President of the Senate, the Senate and House of Representatives Committees chairmen and members of NDDC not to accept, entertain, clear or give any legal clearance to any list except the name of Asu Okang is removed from the list.

“To our dear party members who are peeved by this unfortunate and grievous mistake, we want to humbly appeal to you to remain calm while the party takes every necessary steps to ensure that the presidency make amends.”

On its part, the Ondo State chapter of APC in a statement said that it “has rejected the nomination of Kolade Akinjo as the State Representative on the governing board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),” but commended President Tinubu for the appointment of Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, as the Executive Director, Corporate Services of the Commission.

The decisions were reached, according to the statement by the state publicity secretary, Alex Kalejaye, by leaders of the party in the state during a well attended emergency virtual meeting on Wednesday, which was presided over by the State Chairman, Ade Adetimehin.

While conceding to Mr. President the right to appoint any qualified Nigerian to any office, the party said “We only wish to remind Your Excellency that Mr. Kolade Victor Akinjo was the House of Representatives candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the presidential election, having served two terms on the platform of the opposition party.

“It is equally pertinent to aver that while Mr. President’s desire to instill an all-inclusive governance for the good of the people, we doubt if anyone who worked assiduously for his party, the PDP, as well as his presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku on the potency of anti-APC sloganeering, fits better than our teeming members for the plum job.

“It is, therefore, our fear that appointing such a man into an influential position could demoralize our members, particularly in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, who contributed immensely to the overall votes from the Sunshine State.

“We have no doubt, in the circumstance, that Mr. President will revisit the nomination of Akinjo as the Ondo State Representative on the NDDC’s Governing Board and bring on board someone known to have worked for the party.”

“The leadership of the ruling party in Ondo appeals to our dear president to take a second look at the appointment of Mr. Akinjo, to avoid the unpleasant situation of ‘Monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop’”, the leaders added.

The APC chieftains, however, hailed the appointment of Hon. Abegunde, describing him as a committed party leader, who worked tirelessly for the party, before and during the general elections.