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By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja

A support group of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Cross River State Council For Good Governance CRSCGG has petitioned the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee NWC of the party, alleging an imposition of a Peoples Democratic Party PDP member as APC’s deputy governorship candidate in the state.

The group specifically accused the state government of imposing Peter Odey Agbe APC governorship  running mate in the state.

In a petition addressed to the national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, signed by the chairman of the Cross River  State  Council For Good Governance (CRSCGG) James Udoh and Secretary, Emmanuel Akpan, the group described Mr Agbe as an acolyte of the state Governor, Ben Ayade.

In the petition followed with a court affidavit sworn at the Federal High Court, Abuja by Ekanem Bassey Asoquo the group stated that; “Peter Odey Agbe is a registered member of the PDP and was hitherto sponsored by the PDP to contest election in the State House of Assembly”.

It further stated that the PDP issued him with a certificate of return having won the election to represent his state constituency.

According to the petition the group said it has checked the membership register of the APC in Mr Agbe’s ward, and that as of the time of the petition he was still a member of the PDP.

The petitioners said that thename of Peter Odey Agbe “is not found in the APC register and yet, his name was imposed on the governorship candidate, Bassey Otu as his running mate’.

According to the petitioners, “it is a fact that even when the APC caretaker committee extended the registration exercise to all interested and intending members, Peter Odey Agbe never registered or revalidated his membership of the APC”, thus retaining his membership of the PDP

In view of this, the petitioners asked the national chairman of the APC “whether having regards to the express provisions of section 29 (1)and section 84 of the new electoral act and article 2 , 7(iv),(iv) (viii)(ix)(xii) and (xiii), 9 and 31 of the APC constitution, the defendant can validly jettison the interest of other eligible members to contest in the selected primaries by imposing on the party for election in the forthcoming elections, as a way to compensate them for alleged membership of the PDP by ignoring members of APC  by way of automatic ticket and whether by the APC constitution that Peter Ode Agbe is a member of the APC ”  

They explained that the APC governorship candidate, Prince Bassey Otu is helpless in the matter.