By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The crisis rocking the Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, deepened at the weekend as aggrieved members of the state House of Assembly threatened to withhold support for Governor Bassey Edet Otu and other APC candidates in the forthcoming elections.
The lawmakers, who were part of an 11-man delegation led by the Majority Leader, Rt. Hon. Francis Asuquo, to the national office of ‘Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria,’ declared that while their loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains unshaken, they cannot be forced to work for candidates imposed at their expense.
Their anger stems from their exclusion from the APC’s ticket arrangements, with some seeking a third term and others a second term.
The aggrieved lawmakers said, “We are ready to deliver for Mr. President, but we will not mobilise for those who shut us out.
“If we are not on the ballot, we cannot be expected to campaign for others.”
During the strategic meeting, National Director of Strategic Deployment of the support group, Hon. Bala Ahmed, Director-General of the movement, appealed to the lawmakers to reconsider their stance and work for all APC candidates.
Egede warned, “A divided front will hurt the party and affect the President’s fortunes in the state.”
Egede insisted that the movement’s target of 600,000 votes for President Tinubu can only be achieved through unity.
In a bid to douse the tension, Hon. Bala Ahmed pledged to integrate the lawmakers into the operational structure of Relax Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria, subject to the directive of Barr. Seyi Tinubu, the movement’s chief founder.
But the lawmakers insisted that reconciliation must go beyond promises, warning that unless their grievances over tickets are addressed, their support for Governor Otu and other candidates in the state will remain withheld.
