There are indications that the Cross River State Government has denied the All Progressives Congress (APC) the use of the UJ. Esuene stadium in Calabar for a mega rally to receive decampees from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party into the ruling party in the country.
On Wednesday, the state secretary of the APC who doubles as the chairman of the planning committee of the rally, Mr. Victor Ebong, issued a statement indicating that the UJ. Esuene stadium would be used.
The announcement read: “The National Working Committee of our great party led by the National Chairman, His Excellency, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, will be receiving new members of the party in Cross River State on Saturday, February 13, 2016 at the U.J.Esuene Stadium, Calabar at 10a.m.
The new members include Chief Clement D. Ebri former Governor of Cross River State, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, former Senate Leader, Sen Bassey Otu, Ambassador Soni Abang, Prince Goddy Jedy-Agba, Hon Venatius Ikem, Rt. Hon Paul Adah, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, Dr. Alex Egbona, Dr. Sandy Onor, Sony Etta, Hon Ernest Irek, Chief & Mrs. Johnson Ebokpo, Dr. Mathew Achigbe, and many others.
The Cross River State Working Committee will be honoured by your presence at the occasion which is intended to launch the party for electoral victory in the state.
Kindly accept this as our invitation to the occasion. We regret the short notice which is occasioned by the recent confirmation of the event. Remain assured of our esteem always.”
But, yesterday, the party made a u-turn and announced a new venue, following the alleged refusal of the state government to grant it the use of the stadium.
Sources in the APC secretariat informed THISDAY that the party had applied to Governor Ben Ayade for the use of the stadium but until yesterday evening, there was no official response from the governor.
One of the party officials who refused to be quoted stated that the leadership of the APC in the state received a letter from one of the security agencies telling them to put off the rally entirely.
“We have a letter from the DSS urging us to put off the rally because the PDP is also staging a rally in Calabar on that day,” the source said.
At press time, THISDAY gathered that both the APC and the state government officials were at the headquarters of the zone 6 of the Nigeria police, in a battle of supremacy to see who will get the upper hand.
However, the Vice Chairman of the APC in the South-south zone, Mr. Hilliard Eta addressed a press conference on Thursday evening saying, the rally will hold despite attempts by the PDP-led government in the state to stop it.
“The state organ of the party briefed me this morning about the venue and we were able to secure the playground between Main Avenue and Atu Street when the UJ stadium was denied us.
“We are not bordered about that. that is not the first time the UJ. Esuene stadium has been denied us. After all when the present president who was our candidate at a time came to Calabar to campaign, he was also denied the use of the UJ. Esuene stadium. That did not stop us from going ahead to win the election. so that is the venue that we have secured,” Eta said.
Eta said: “Ayade has been informing the leadership of the APC that he intends to decamp from the PDP and join us, yet he returns to Cross River State to persecute members of the party he intends to join.”
