C’River PDP congress: Peace return as Ayade’s faction withdraws suit over ward, LG exco inauguration

The Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may soon heave a sigh of relief as peace is set to return to the chapter as a faction loyal to Governor Ben Ayade has withdrawn the suit challenging the inauguration of ward and local government executive committees of the party.

All has not been well with the party since 2015, as Governor Ayade and some stakeholders including founding members, former elected officers and National Assembly members have been embroiled in a battle of supremacy for the soul of the party, climaxing in the factionalisation and subsequent inauguration of parallel executives at ward and local government levels.

However, following directive by the National Working Committee of the party, the ward executive committee members in Cross River State were inaugurated in 196 wards on Thursday, April 30, 2020 and were sworn-in by a Notary Public, Okimasi Ojong, Esq, principal partner of Barr Okimasi Ojong and Co, in accordance with the provisions of Section 65 of the PDP Constitution as amended in 2017.

But some aggrieved members, who claimed to have emerged in the ward congress conducted by Ntufam Edim Inok-led state executive committee, sued the PDP, the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (rted) and State Chairman of the PDP, Ntufam Edim Inok.

In the suit No.HC/115/2020 and dated Thursday, April 30, 2020, they prayed the court to restrain the national leadership of the party from acting on any list except one submitted by the Cross River PDP in relation to the recently conducted ward and local government congresses in the state.

The claimants/applicants include Pastor Otu Edet Marshall, Mr Terence Orok, Raphael Stephen Ntui and Henry Ekpwnyong Edem.

But in what appears as a volta face, the claimants and aggrieved members tactically withdrew the case and didn’t put up appearance during substantive hearing of the case on June 30, 2020.

Consequently, the presiding High Court Judge, Justice Elias Abua, sitting in Calabar struck out the suit but did not award any cost against the claimants.

Reacting to the development, the spokesperson of the Movement for the Restoration of Cross River PDP, (MFTROCR), Comrade Raymond Takon, said he was shocked to hear that the claimants withdrew their case in the morning of June 30, 2020 when the matter was scheduled for argument.

Takon said: “We were in court as usual and was surprised that without prior notice to the defendants, they came to court and applied for a withdrawal of the case.

“Well, it is good for the party if only it is intended to restore peace and then we can now work as united family which we have been because we have stiff opposition ahead of us especially in the pending senatorial by-election. With this action, they have finally accepted to be part of authentic executive of the party.”

 He maintained that there is need for caution as nobody knows the next move.

But sources close to state PDP secretariat confided in our correspondent that the withdrawal was in good faith and in line with the resolve of the caretaker state leadership to re-unit all members and then work for a common goal.

The source hinted that Governor Ben Ayade is committed to bringing everybody on board this time considering the place of party members in developing the state.