From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Director General of Sen Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe Campaign Organisation, Dr Don Cklaimz Enamhe, and Cross River North People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts have blasted Governor Ben Ayade over his visit to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
They characterised Ayade’s as not only a mark of desperation to return to the Senate but a calculated attempt to woo Wike over to his side ahead of the 2023 polls.
Since late yesterday, a group picture of Governors Ben Ayade, Dave Umahi and Wike during their visit to Port Harcourt have been trending, fuelling speculations that Ayade, the APC north senatorial candidate, is up to some political gimmicks.
Describing such moves as the last kick of a dying horse, the Director-General of Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe Campaign Organisation, Dr Don Cklaimz Enamhe, stated that it is possible that Governor Ayade had discreetly gone there to negotiate for his senate seat not minding his public utterances against Wike.
Enamhe recalled that on several occasions the Cross River governor has, since his defection to All Progressives Congress (APC) in June 2020, lampooned the state chapter of PDP and its leadership of being a surrogate to the Rivers governor just as he has declared total war against the party.
The university of Calabar don, also alleged that Ayade is discreetly and desperately making moves to reach out to the PDP’s presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, to negotiate his way back to the Upper Legislative Chamber, adding that Jarigbe’s campaign organisation is keeping a tab and would do everything possible to scuttle any further attempt to undermine north’s interest in 2023.
Enamhe, a foundation member of PDP, said: “Going by past antecedents, Governor Ayade has no right to visit Governor Wike because he (Ayade) has been making comments deriding Wike and PDP in the state.
“It seems he has eaten his vomit or shall we say he is also trying to mortgage the state to Rivers as he accused the party a couple of months back while soliciting support for APC.
“However we assure all that all discreet moves by Ayade would come to nought because we have declared total and unalloyed support for Sen. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe. Besides, the north knows their true sons and leaders and we would speak during the general elections as no amount of tricks and genuflecting would change our focus to re-elect Jarigbe.”
Wondering what took Ayade to Rivers, four months to the general election, a party stalwart from Yala, Chief Emmanuel Ogbeche, 53, said the party leaders in the north would meet to review Ayade’s recent moves, cautioning the national leadership of PDP to be wary of hobnobbing with politicians from Cross River engaging in anti-party activities.
On his part, Ntufam Justine Abang, from the Ogoja chapter, expresses surprise that after Ayade had declared PDP dead in the state and that APC would sweep all the seats, he surreptitiously visited Wike, a PDP governor, and his arch-enemy, to curry favour.
Describing Governor Wike as an old political war horse, Abang said the visit would not change the good works Rivers governor is doing to ensure the survival of the PDP in Cross River and assured that the party would deliver Sen. Jarigbe and other PDP candidates in the north.