SAN FRANCISCO, September 5, (THEWILL) – As opposition against Professor Ben Ayade’s reelection mounts amongst leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross Rivers State, the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus will this night in Abuja meet with the embattled governor and warring leaders in a bid to secure a soft landing for the politician who is clearly the worst governor to have governed the once peaceful and progressive state in decades.
THEWILL gathered that the meeting was at Ayade’s instance in a last ditch effort to appease the aggrieved leaders and stakeholders who are a combination of influential members of the party in the state, as well as members of the national and state legislature including Senators Gershom Bassey and Rose Okoh; Hon. Chris Agibe, Hon. Bassey Ewah and several others.
The stakeholders fear that the party will suffer a painful defeat in next year’s poll if it presents Ayade as its governorship candidate, citing his increasing unpopularity amongst voters because of his very poor record.
The PDP Support Group first raised the alarm about Ayade’s unpopularity some days back warning that the party will be handing a resounding victory to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, should the incumbent governor become the party’s candidate, describing him as “the worse civilian government ever seen in the state, known to Cross Riverians as a fraud, clown, con man, liar, a thief and the most abused Governor in the history of our dear State.”
The group’s petition addressed to Secondus was signed by Chief Edet Essien Asuquo, its National Coordinator.
The group accused Ayade of siphoning billions from state coffers since he assumed office in 2015, using bogus projects and MoUs, while also using his family to convert ownership of government assets.
“It is on record that no sitting Governor of the State has ever met such an opposition and criticism while seeking 2nd term in office. So the question now is why is Governor Ben Ayade’s case so different? Why do Cross Riverians, even 95% of his own appointees are against his 2nd Term bid in office?
THEWILL had previously reported that Ayade is one of the governors elected on the platform of the PDP seriously considering defecting to the APC as opposition against him amongst stakeholders gained traction.
