About seventeen days into 2019 general elections, the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Cross River State is still parading two governorship candidates, Senator John Owan Enoh and Pastor Usani Uguru Usani as factional candidates.
DAILY POST gathered that the two candidates are still holding to their guns as governorship candidates of the party.
Our findings revealed that Senator John Owan Enoh was given the party’s flag and declared a governorship candidate of the party for Cross River State during the zonal rally of the party in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Pastor Usani is claiming that he is still in court with the party and still holding on to the governorship position of the party in the state, since, according to him, the court has not disposed of the matter.
Interestingly, the acting Chairman of the party in Cross River, Sir John Ochala lamented the attitude of Pastor Usani Usani saying, that the party’s hierarchy recognised Senator Owan Enoh.
In a statement signed by the acting Chairman, Sir John Ochala and made available to DAILY POST on Wednesday, the party said that “Our attention has been drawn to trending media reports credited to the Honorable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani whereby he parades himself as the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Cross River State.
“We wish to use this medium to make some clarifications which further counters those misgivings by the Minister:
“All the institutions relevant to the emergence of candidates including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Secretariat of our party and even the Law Enforcement Agencies have the name of Sen. John Owan Enoh as the party’s Governorship Candidate in Cross River State.
“That in a matter instituted by him (Pastor Usani Usani) regarding the issue of candidacy, a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Olukayode Adeniyi delivered judgment rejecting his prayers to be made the party’s candidate.
“In fact, the court verdict derecognized him as having taken part in the process of party primary elections that led to the emergence of candidates.
Sir Ochala said Pastor Usani should tell the world at what point was he emerged as the party’s Governorship Candidate as he continues to parade as such.
“This latest attempt by the Minister to impose himself on the gullible public, in our consideration confirms our earlier belief that Pastor Usani was working had to actualize another agenda distracting APC from focusing on elections victory” he said.
“Otherwise why would Pastor Usani resort to self-help even with the window of opportunity provided by the law for him to ventilate his grievances and get justice, which we know he’ll never get!
“We, therefore, warn for the umpteenth time that Pastor Usani should desist from this criminal act of impersonation since he is not our governorship candidate!
“The fact that this tendency of the Hon Minister is capable of robbing the party of its chances of victory in the forthcoming polls, urges on the Presidency to call Pastor Usani to order to avoid the aftermath of such ugly situation.
He urged the general public to disregard the evil antics of the Hon Minister and only seek and get clarifications from relevant stakeholders as regards the status of the APC Governorship Candidate who indisputably is Sen. John Owan Enoh” he stated.
When contacted, the Publicity Secretary of Pastor Usani, Mr. Men’s Ikpeme said, “We don’t have acting chairman in APC, our Chairman is Nufam Godwin Etim John. Please don’t address any person as such.
“I am talking to you from the point of authority. Pastor Usani Usani is our governorship candidate, no other one” and when he was reminded that Senator John Owan Enoh was given the party’s flag in Uyo, he said, “It was a ceremonial presentation but Pastor Usani got the ticket’ he stated.
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