By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – A group under the umbrella of Cross River State Initiative for Good Governance (CRSIFGG) has dismissed claims by the former State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alphonsus Eba, on Governor Bassey Otu’s qualifications for the 2023 governorship elections.
The group dismissed Eba’s claims that Governor Otu was disqualified from the 2023 race describing it as “disdainful” and “maligning”.
Chairman of the Initiative, George Sunday, who made this known during an interview also dismissed allegations that the Governor owed his ticket victory to the former chairman as “completely false” and an attempt to tarnish the Governor’s reputation.
The Initiative cited the former APC state chairman’s removal for misappropriating N60 million from party form sales, as well as allegations of embezzling N20 million meant for local government executives, as reasons behind his bitter claims.
The Initiative chairman also questioned the former APC chairman’s accusations against the Chief of Staff, Emmanuel Ironbar, asking if he was a chapter chairman or involved in party form sales.
The Initiative urged the public to disregard the former chairman’s claims, emphasising that the Governor’s emergence was “divine” and not dependent on
any individual’s support.
The group called on the embattled Eba to hearken to the voices of the Cross River State APC Caucus in the House of Representatives, who have called him to respectfully resign so as to allow the ship of the party to continue to sail smoothly.
According to the Initiative, the Leader of the NASS Caucus, Hon. Mike Etaba, had stated it clearly that such a move “will further help to strengthen the foundations of our party as well as stir up confidence amongst Cross Riverians thereby portraying us as a serious, people-oriented and focused political party to reckon with come 2027.”
