PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives Primaries for of Calabar South, Bakassi and Akpabuyo federal constituency has been put on hold due to the ongoing controversey on who will represent the area.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Calabar, supporters of Saviour Nyong, an aspirant vying for the position of member representing Calabar South, Bakassi and Akpabuyo federal constituency said they would stand against any form of imposition of candidate.

The group said their candidate must be allowed to participate in the primaries as he was fully qualified to represent them and the party in the House.

They said the idea of automatic ticket to incumbent members was alien to democracy and should not be used by the party to disqualify their candidate.

Similarly, Mr Saviour Nyong who addressed his supporters at the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar, said, the primaries concerning the Calabar South, Bakassi and Akpabuyo federal constituency had been put on hold.

He said the right thing must be done and every qualified aspirant must be given the chance to contest in the primaries.

” Anytime they want the primaries to hold, we are ready, if they like let them hold the primaries in the moon or in the stars, we will win.

” For now, let us all disperse and put our ears to the ground, every qualified aspirant must be given the opportunity to contest in the primaries,” he said.

Nyong was the former commissioner for Transport, Cross River, and is vying against Mr Essien Eyi, Member representing Calabar South, Bakassi and Akpabuyo federal constituency.

NAN reports that a similar protest erupted earlier with supporters of a National Assembly aspirant, Ekpo Okon, alleging that there were plans to rig the primaries and give the ticket to the incumbent, Sen. Gershom Bassey.

The Cross River PDP has been divided over the issuance of automatic tickets to incumbent senators and House of Representatives members