Joseph Odok|14 March 2016|1:35pm
As a keen observer of Cross River State politics, I think there is a strong boost of opposition politics in Cross River State. Never in history has the opposition been taken serious in Cross River State believed to be 100% PDP before now. Today the opposition has installed great fears and possible obliteration of PDP in most local governments in Cross River State
But not for failure of harmonization of interests by some opposition stakeholders in Labour Party and APC, the opposition parties in Yakurr would have disgraced PDP and completely announced their death in Yakurr Local Government Area. For record purpose, all of labour party in Cross River State has been collapsed to a great extent to APC though harmonization of interests is still a challenge.
It is regrettable that some stakeholders in APC led by Chief Clement Ebri fronted the Labour Party candidate and took to emotions rather than fronting party interest. However their mistakes, their argument was sound and based on principles of equity. These stakeholders saw reason to support the labour party candidate because they felt he was more popular and he was favourably disposed to decamp to APC after winning the elections. Their argument was also rooted in the fact that the labour party candidate was the petitioner that solely funded the petition that eventually led to the nullification of the elections previously won by the PDP candidate. Be that as it may they further reasoned, based on emotions that the Labour Party candidate was the elder brother to the APC candidate and in accordance with African culture, it would have been wise for the younger brother to give in to his elder brother who had previously spent so much monies in contesting election without winning any.
This line of reasoning did not go down well with the APC Minister for Niger Delta Affairs Pst. Usani Uguru Usani who rather felt the need to build APC in Yakurr II State Constituency especially as an expression of his unalloyed loyalty to the party. In his reasoning and the reasoning of most APC party men, party interest should always be placed over and above any interest and where sentiment play, party interest should rise supreme. Based on this reasoning Pst. Usani came all out in support of the APC candidate. He fought the battle and came very close to winning.
Should Pst. Usani Uguru Usani be blamed? Or should Chief Clement Ebri be accused of playing anti party by supporting a Labour Party candidate instead of a candidate of his new party APC? In my judgement, Pst. Usani Uguru Usani played a good one. If he had supported the labour party candidate, he would have been seen to be playing anti party and the same Cross Riverians that had pressured him to support the labour party candidate would have been the first to petition him to the president for playing anti party activities. Pst. Usani Uguru Usani decision is highly commendable and applauded by most APC party men. He achieved great feat by coming second and close to the polls despite the fact that his APC candidate was greatly unpopular. I stand not to see him as a failure nor do I stand to brand Chief Clement Ebri as playing anti party, I rather call for greater harmonization amongst APC stakeholders. Casting blames will not save us but building bridges over and above our differences will.
Be that as it is, APC failed to deliver Yakurr II State Constituency Rerun election and PDP won. This, in clear terms is failure if looked critically. The failure of opposition party to clinch the seat despite its stronghold in Yakurr is a slap on the management of the party by stakeholders. It behooves on stakeholders to unite. The Yakurr II State Constituency Rerun Election has openly exposed the divisions that exist amongst APC stakeholders in the state. It is now time to build not to look for blames. United we shall claim Cross River State but divided we shall be always defeated.
Long live APC CRS.
Long Live the emerging change.
Long live PMB.
Joseph Odok
Social Change Agent
