Okwe Obi, Abuja
Former Commissioner for Special Duties and All Progressive Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant ahead of Cross River North bye-election, Fidel Egoro, has declared that his party would coast home to victory.
Egoro, a former deputy chairman of PDP, who addressed newsmen yesterday, after picking his Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms, at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, noted that APC was more on the ground than PDP even though PDP is in government.
If elected, he promised to represent the people with the fear of God, adding that his experience and exposure in politics, spanning over 30 years placed him in good stead to defeat other aspirants.
He said: ‘I will bring equitable and God-fearing representation. Power comes from God. When He opens the door no one closes it.
‘It is not about money or connection. I do not know what those people have that I do not have. Talking about experience, I have been plenty of experience. About 30 years ago, I was a commissioner for special duties, water resources and rural development, and works housing and transport.
‘I was also chairman of the council, party administrator. As a matter of fact, state deputy chairman of PDP before I crossed over. So, I do not think that any one of them is a threat to me.
‘Although PDP is ruling Cross River State, the State is not a monolithic political entity. APC is very strong. As a matter of fact, why APC even lost the governorship was simply that there were lots of problems within the party; we could not agree with factions that kept fighting themselves in court not until very recently when by the grace of God we achieved reconciliation. Otherwise, we do not think that we would have had PDP today or the governor would have had a second term if the party had been together.
‘As a matter of fact, they were part of the problems; they helped to fuel the crisis within the APC. I won’t blame them for it.
‘They were smart because they knew that APC is very strong. It has widespread. So, they made sure that those cleavages and divisions were accentuated so that we could not come together.
‘When you’re not together your strength is whittle down. That’s what they succeeded in doing. But thank God. There is a time for everything. It is time for APC. I can assure you that APC is going to pick the Senate. It’s ours.’
On the issue of the mode of primary, he said ‘the constitution of the party is very clear. There is direct primary and indirect primary, but depending on what the stakeholders agree. But I think that direct primaries are better. Better in the sense that you give an opportunity to every party member to participate in the process. It is more participatory and less in manipulation. I will go for direct.’