Imoke pencils two aspirants as successor

 

There are indications that the Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, may have settled for one out of Prof. Ben Ayade and Mr. Fidelis Ugbo, as his successor.


Ayade is the incumbent senator representing the Cross River North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, while Ugbo is the immediate past Executive Secretary, National Planning Commission,
Our correspondent gathered on Wednesday that Governor Imoke has submitted the two names to the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja, for consideration head of the December, 8 governorship primaries, as his preferred successor.

No fewer than 22 governorship aspirants from the Cross River north senatorial district had initially shown interest to contest for the governorship ticket, but the state chapter of the party after series of consultations, which did not go down well with majority of the aspirants, penciled down five aspirants who were given the nod to purchase the nomination form.

The five aspirants included Prof. Ben Ayade, Mr. Fidelis Ugbo, Mr. Legor Idagbo, Mr. Mike Aniah and Mr. Larry Odey.

Despite the advice, over 11 aspirants were confirmed to have bought and submitted their nomination form to contest the exercise, while they have all recently been screened and cleared to contest by the party’s screening committee which sat in Port Harcourt, River State, last week.

However, one of the party’s stalwart disclosed to our correspondent in Calabar that the Governor Imoke’s choice to narrow down the aspirants was to ease tension during the conduct of the primaries.

Besides, it was gathered that one of the preferred successor had played critical role in aiding the state leadership of the party to ensure that the controversial November 1 wards delegate congress was cancelled.
He said, “The governor has given the two names to the leadership of the party for consideration as his successor. He ought to have submitted just one name, but one of the aspirants played critical role to ensure the cancellation of the November 1 wards delegate congress.”

It was gathered that the governor has been in Abuja consulting widely with even aggrieved aspirants to ensure the success of the primaries but some agitators who do not want their names on print, said the outcome of the exercise would create more problems within the party as its leadership is bent on producing consensus candidates across board.

He said, “So far, the recently conducted state House of Assembly primaries has gone down well with some key party leaders because most aspirants received phones calls not to contest in the primaries just a day before. This was unfair and we are likely to see more suprises,” he said.