APC committee orders 18 C’river guber aspirants to Abuja for consensus

BATTLE for the All Progressives Congress ( APC) governorship ticket in Cross River State has taken a different dimension as all aspirants have been ordered to be in Abuja today for a crucial consensus meeting tomorrow.

The Senator Victor NdomaEgba seven- man committee was set up recently to prune the large number of aspirants from 18 to four, that is two each from the two senatorial zones that have entered the race.

Already, majority of the aspirants are grumbling over the consensus process, saying the best thing would have been to allow every aspirant to buy the form and come to the negotiation table instead of pushing the “dirty work” to the committee and caucuses to decide.

The meeting is coming after initial failed attempts.

It was reported that the Ndoma- Egba- led committee had pruned the aspirants from 18 to four and submitted its recommendation but due to some wrangling and fraudulent processes to pick one person, the May 7 state caucus meeting could not hold as the leader of the party, Governor Ben Ayade, through the state executive had ordered that all the aspirants should move to Abuja.

Top APC sources said the idea of relocating to Abuja was to get the presidential form for Ayade and the one for the consensus candidate that may likely be unveiled there.

It was also gathered that a top businessman in the state doled out N100 million on behalf of some wellwishers for the purchase of presidential form for Ayade.

Some of the aspirants, who were seen at Margaret Ekpo International Airport hustling to get seats in the only available flight for the Abuja trip were said not to be happy with the entire development as they suspect some foul play.