Judex Okoro, Calabar

Ahead of Cross River People’s Democratic Party (PDP) congress, stakeholders stormed party secretariat at about 2:00pm at Murtala Mohammad Highway and demanded a free and fair contest.

Their demand is coming against the complaints of alleged manipulations of the last ward and chapter congresses.

The stakeholders made up of National Assembly members, some founding fathers and former elected as well as appointed officers and their supporters, are insisting that all interest groups must be accommodated.

The congress would elect all the state executive members who will pilot its affairs for the next four years.

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National Assembly members present at the secretariat include Gershom Bassey and Sandy Onor as well as all the seven House of Representatives members.

Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, Coordinator of Movement for the Restoration of Cross River PDP (MFTROCR), Raymond Takon, said any attempt to impose candidates on the people would lead to factionalization.

Taken said: “What is going on now is high handedness and the leadership of the party in the state is trying to turn the party into a one man show by being autocratic in their approach.

“This is not what we know of our PDP and that is the truth. I think the intension is to deprive senators and stakeholders from participating in the congresses and this is very alien to us as a people.

“What we are agitating for is that all stakeholders should be carried along and the congresses should be participatory. “