By Samuel Ogidan
Abuja
Members of the electoral panel mandated to conduct local government congresses in Cross River state were at the weekend locked out of the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat.
This revelation emerged yesterday.
It was alleged that the state chapter of the party, led by the chairman, Ntufam John Okon and Rekpene Bassey, the state’s Security Adviser, coordinated the lock-up of the secretariat, which prevented the panel members access to the secretariat.
It was alleged that the duo were acting on the order of Governor Liyel Imoke to locked out the Barr. Abdulkarim Kator-led panel, who had arrived the state to conduct the Local Government Area (LGA) congresses for nominating national delegates to the party’s national convention scheduled for December.
Party sources recounted that after the electoral landed in the state, “they made straight for the secretariat to prepare for Saturday’s congress only to meet a locked secretariat.”
The source further said, “when they enquired about the closure, they were told that since the ward congress of Saturday, November 1, is a matter of litigation in court, no electoral activity can take place. The electoral officers replied that, that is a different matter and reminded the party exco that this was a different election altogether.
“The state executive were unmoved,” and insisted that “the secretariat would remain locked and boasted that not even the national exco can tell us what to do here…”
It was reported that the electoral panel was held for several hours and on Sunday, “they were led straight to the airport and flown out of the state in a private jet.”
