Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, the senator representing Nothern Senatorial District of Cross River in the National Assembly, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has defeated Governor Ben Ayade to clinch the Senate seat.
Senator Jarigbe garnered 76,145 to defeat governor Ben Ayade who polled 56, 595 votes in the exercise.
Declaring Sen. Jarigbe the winner of the Senatorial election in the early hours of Monday, 27th, 2023, the returning officer, Dr. Emmanuel Emanghe who spoke on behalf of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC commended stakeholders for their peaceful conduct.
Emanghe also lauded all security agents for giving the needed security support which invariably led to a successful and credible election.
PDP Guber Candidate Vows To Reverse ‘Illegal Acquisition Of Properties By Gov Ayade’
Sandy Ojang Onor, the PDP governorship candidate in Cross River State, has stated that, if elected governor of Cross River State next month, he will critically look into all the decisions, projects, and state properties illegally acquired by incumbent Governor Ben Ayade with a view to reversing and forfeiting them.
He spoke during a press event on Friday, January 27, 2023, at the NUJ press centre in Calabar.
There have been allegations that Gov Ayade has illegally acquired good numbers of state lands and other properties.
The PDP candidate also stated that Ayade’s personal house whose construction is ongoing in front of the governor’s office in Calabar would be reviewed, and if found not to follow due process, would be forfeited.
Sandy Onor also disclosed that all the appointments and recruitments being done at this eleventh hour of Gov Ayade’s government that did not follow due process would also be reversed.
“There are several allegations that the ongoing recruitment for civil service does not follow a due process like many other decisions. I will diligently look into all the allocations, recruitments, and alleged illegal land grabbings by Ayade and his aides at Water Board land, as well as the ongoing personal house opposite Government House in Calabar, will all be reviewed. If they did not follow due government process, [they] will either be forfeited to government or reversed.”
He said further: “As a major stakeholder in the Cross River project and by the grace of God, the next governor of our state, I wish to humbly assert that in as much as I know that our people need job opportunities in the state civil service, this one is deceitfully envisioned for political reasons.
“Recruitment exercises ought to be methodic, systematic, and seen to be genuine, something that should be done in a gradual manner to allow the state and its people flow with it, based on the resources available. This one is coming with ulterior motives and is therefore unlikely to find the oxygen and legitimacy to stand the test of time.”
Continuing, he alleged: “The second and very worrisome issue is the plan by the government to collect five years lease payments from quarries and some manufacturing companies that operate in the state. We are told that the government is reaching out to these companies to raise revenue from them five years in advance. “
Source: Vanguard
