From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Confusion has continued to trail the All Progressives Congress (APC) Cross River North senatorial district primary election as two aspirants have declared themselves winners of the elections.
While Adams Cecilia Omonya emerged as the party’s candidate for the senatorial district election, Hon. Martins Orim, the former chief of staff to the governor, also claimed victory in a parallel primary. The parallel elections were conducted in Ogoja Local Government Area of the state.
Omonya polled 140 votes to defeat Chief Martins Orim, who scored 61 votes and Ben Ayade who polled 52 votes respectively.
Omonya, in her congratulatory speech, thanked party executive committee as well as delegates for the work well done and asked for the support of everyone. However, in a parallel primary where delegates unanimously voted for Martins’ Orims polling a total of 254 votes, Omonya scored zero.
Orim, who was in company of the member representing Bekwarra/Obudu/Obanliku federal constituency of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Legor Idagbo, thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and promised to work with the party to ensure victory at the general elections.
But reacting to the inclusion of Governor Ben Ayade in the parallel primary conducted by Omonya, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Governor, Christian Ita, said the governor didn’t take part in any senatorial primary but was listed as a participant
Ita said: “His Excellency is a presidential aspirant who will be taking part in the APC presidential convention now slated for June 6. We make bold to say that the so-called parallel primary election as contained in the said video was at best a poorly scripted skit comedy shot by three persons sitting in a room.
“The sham video is indeed a joke taken too far. It was a vapid, infantile but failed attempt at manipulation as the clowns behind it tragically forgot to also manufacture ballot boxes, delegates, observers and APC panel members. It was a handiwork of political desperadoes who are out to embarrass the governor.
“We wish to assure teeming APC members and supporters, particularly in Northern Cross River, that there was no parallel Senatorial primary in the district.