…raises alarm over missing documents

…claim by PDP fraudulent – Ita

By Ike Uchechukwu – Calabar

Contrary to speculations that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River had acquired a new secretariat, the Chairman Caretaker Committee of the party, Efiok Cobham Esq., on Tuesday refuted the report.

In a release signed by the Chairman Caretaker Committee of the Party, Efiok Cobham Esq, and made available to Vanguard late Tuesday, he advised the public to disregard such misinformation.

He said: “Contrary to speculations that the PDP has acquired a new secretariat. We advise the general public and our teeming supporters to disregard the misinformation in circulation.

“The PDP has a secretariat at no 42A Muritala Muhamed highway which it has occupied for the last 20 years and does not intend to abandon it to anybody.

“The party is using every available means to reclaim its secretariat and we have confidence in doing so. Our party men and women should remain civil even in the face of severe provocation and wait for further information from the leadership.

Meanwhile, the party has raised the alarm over missing documents from the Secretariat stressing that crucial documents and other valuable items have gone missing.

The Chairman Caretaker Committee of the party, Efiok Cobham who raised the alarm on Tuesday disclosed to Vanguard that vital documents and crucial items belonging to that party had gone missing from their office at 42A Muritala Mohammed Highway, Calabar.

His words: “Crucial Documents and other Properties Belonging to PDP have gone Missing

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“Following the defection of the Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency Prof. Ben Ayade to the All Progressive Congress, eye witness has earlier today, 25th of May, 2021 informed the PDP that vital documents belonging to it in the now converted building into an All Progressive Congress, APC, Secretariat have been carted away by men allegedly on the instruction of the government.

“The source confirmed that a white Ford pick up truck without registration number carted the registers and other documents belonging to the PDP out of the secretariat to an unknown destination under the guidance of the police personnel on ground who have taken over the security of the secretariat since Saturday the 22nd of May.

“The PDP family have moved on, he should do so too by concentrating in his new party and stop fermenting trouble. The PDP hereby advise those behind the act to return the said documents and paraphernalia of the PDP as well as make haste to vacate its secretariat as any damage to both property and documents would be accounted for.

“We want to use this medium to implore our party faithfuls and supporters to be peaceful and law-abiding and also to thank the general public for their resolute support to our great party the PDP,” he said.

Recall that the Special Adviser to governor Ayade on Media & Publicity, Mr Christian Ita, had earlier said the Secretariat was a rented property and now belonged to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

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Ita said: “Former PDP secretariat is a rented property, rent was renewed three months ago by Governor Ayade who has now decamped to APC. First, the said property is a rented property which is not owned by the PDP.

“It will interest the public to know that the rent for the said property was only renewed three months ago by the same PDP that has now totally collapsed into the APC.

” The same former officials of the PDP who occupied the property when it was secretariat of the PDP are the persons still occupying it having switched allegiance and moved to the APC with the governor.

” So, the claim by Cobham of forceful entry is fraudulent and criminal and should be ignored.

“His claim that the PDP still has tenancy right over the property is pathetic. Pathetic because Cobham failed to realise that the same person who renewed the rent just three months ago has moved to the APC.

“Rather than fight over what does not belong to it, we will advise the shell-shocked and lame-duck  PDP to look elsewhere to situate their secretariat,” Ita said.

Vanguard News Nigeria