Mass defection hits Cross River PDP

A major crack has hit the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State following the controversial primaries that saw the emergence of Senator Ben Ayade as the PDP flag-bearer in the state.
Virtually all the aggrieved aspirants who lost out in the party primaries have dumped the PDP to contest the elections under the Labour Party (LP) platform. The outcome of the primaries did not go down well with the Godwin Jeddy Agba group as none of their members got the party ticket to contest next year’s election on the platform of the PDP.
“One of the decampees was quoted as saying that if the current pattern subsists, then clearly our democracy is in recession; we are losing grounds that we have already gained. And it is a pity because all I have for is to fight. For choices, but clearly our democracy has no opportunity for space and for choices, BusinessDay gathered that Godwin Jeddy Agba has already filled his nomination form as gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) along-side the former commissioner for Environment in the Imoke-led administration, Sandy Onoh who is contesting for Cross River Central Senatorial seat under Labour and the immediate past chief of staff to Governor Liyel Imoke, Alex Egbona who is also going for Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency under the LP platform in next year’s elections.
Bassey Otu had last Wednesday resigned his membership of PDP, citing lack of internal democracy in the party and dissatisfaction in the handling of affairs in the party among other reasons that prompted him to defect to LP.