PDP Primaries: Kate Henshaw, Other Aspirants Attest To Transparent, Free, Fair Exercise In Cross River

SAN FRANCISCO, December 15, (THEWILL) – Some Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) aspirants who either contested the National Assembly or governorship primaries in Cross River State have dismissed claims of irregularities by some defeated aspirants, insisting that the processes were free, fair and represented the will of the people.

Among the aspirants who insist that claims ‎of tampering with delegates' lists were false, include Nollywood diva, Kate Henshaw, former Secretary to the State Government, Barr Mike Aniah and Mr. Ugba Murphy, former chairman of the Editorial Board of DARR Communications, owners of African Independent Television and RayPower.

Aniah, who aspired for the governorship ticket maintained that in any contest, there was always going to be only one winner, and advised those who lost, to stop throwing mud.

“The governorship was always going to be a contest and there was bound to be only one winner. So, for me the process was fair and I subscribe to it,” he said.

On the alleged tampering with the delegates' list, he said: “What I saw in the state congress was what was arrived at at the ward congress. The delegates' list was authentic.”

Relieving her own experience, Henshaw was emphatic that there was no manipulation of the delegates' list, at least not during her primaries.

The actress was in the race for the ticket for Calabar South/Akpabuyo/Bakassi Federal Constituency.

“It (alleged tampering with delegates' list) didn't occur in my primaries. I have heard the allegation of tampered delegates' list. I don't know what they are talking about.

“The delegates I met with before the primaries were the same delegates I saw during the primaries because I remembered all of them. And there was no stranger that voted on the day of my primaries,” she insisted.

Speaking in a similar vein, Murphy, a senatorial aspirant for the Cross River North ticket described the entire process as credible, particularly the governorship primaries.

Speaking on the sidelines of the governorship primaries at the U.J. Esuene Stadium , he said of the process : “Wonderful. I can see it is very orderly and people are voting according to their local governments. The procedure is wonderful.”

In a related development, a group, the Cross River Youth Vanguard, said neither Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndom-Egba nor Mr Goddy Jeddy Agba had the moral impetus to question the integrity of the primaries.

The group in a statement issued in Calabar and signed by its Secretary General, Ofem Obiang, wondered how after taking part in the process, the two politicians now find everything wrong with it.

“If they had won, they will not have questioned the process. Ndoma-Egba even voted at the National Assembly and governorship primaries which Agba is now trying to discredit. We don't know how true this is, but we understand that the Senate Leader didn't even cast‎ his vote for Agba,” the group.