By Sixtus Uket (Calabar)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship candidate in Cross River State, Senator Sandy Onor, has described the candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the February and March 2023 general elections in the country as “products of a poisoned chalice commissioned to ruin the state completely if elected.”
Speaking during an interactive session with traditional rulers in Ogoja, the headquarters of Ogoja Local Government Area, Cross River North, yesterday, Senator Onor stated that, “the unorthodox process that produced the APC flag bearers compromised their integrity and independence thereby eroding their credibility.
“It is a common knowledge that all the APC candidates on parade were handpicked by the Ayades. Given the havocs wrecked on our state by Ayade and his cohorts, it would be a terrible risk to support any candidate tied to that apron string.
“We cannot afford to jeopardize the future of our next generation by perpetuating the unmitigated disaster symbolized by Ayade under the guise of an ethnic mantra,” the PDP governorship candidate stated.
He solicited total support for all PDP candidates and enjoined the royal fathers to invoke necessary traditional means to deter election riggers while ensuring that their votes are protected in a free and fair ballot.
Also speaking, the Senator representing Cross River North, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, expressed delight over the high turnout which he noted, reflects the massive support being enjoyed by the PDP in Ogoja.
Senator Jarigbe described the stipends being collected by the royal fathers under the Ayade administration as sacrilegious and announced a 100 percent increment from the current package of N7, 500 for village and clan heads respectively.
In his remarks, the Paramount Ruler of Ogoja, HRM Mathias Abua, represented by Chief Butrus Abue, sued for peaceful elections in the state.
