APC Opposes Ayade’s Plan to Impose Caretaker

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday said it would deploy every legal means at its disposal to stop the Cross River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade, from imposing caretaker committees on the eighteen Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.

Presently, the councils are run by heads of administration of local government areas.

About a year ago, the plans to conduct local government elections by the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC), were put on hold up without any official explanation.

The APC in the state raised the alarm at the weekend, alleging that Ayade was planning to set up caretaker committees for the councils with the intent of using them to rig the 2019 general elections in the state.

Addressing journalists in Calabar, the state chairman of the APC, Dr. Mathew Achigbe said that they would resist any attempt by the Ayade-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the state.

“We will resist it because it is unconstitutional. Elections should be conducted. APC had since been prepared for local government elections in the state, but the Ayande government has kept frustrating the elections and now thinks it can hurriedly do the unconstitutional by appointing persons they think they could use to influence the 2019 elections in their favour across the local government areas. We will resist such unconstitutionality.

“We frown at the intention, whether real or otherwise, of the state government to set up caretaker committees for local government councils. We object to that attempt. In fact, we will react by all means at our own disposal to make sure that we truncate that evil machination.

“This time is completly not auspicious. If they wanted smooth administration of Cross River State, it would have been at other time than now.