The Cross River State governorship race took a new turn on Monday as youths of the state bought the People’s Democratic Party form for a leading aspirant and former publicity secretary of the party, Hon. Emmanuel Ibeshi.
Ibeshi is the only aspirant to have come out within the PDP and declared intention to challenge the incumbent governor, Mr. Ben Ayade.
According to Mkpe Abang, in a statement, the youths who thronged the PDP state office in Calabar and purchased the form, said their desire to see a change of government and conviction in Ibeshi as the right person to rescue the state prompted their support for him hence they bought the form as their token of contribution.
In spite of the poor economic situation in Cross River State, the youths taxed themselves and contributed the N2 million to purchase the PDP governorship form for the state, as a demonstration of their solidarity with Hon. Ibeshi’s candidacy, according to the youths.
One of the leaders of the youths, Mr. Effiom Ernest Attoe, said Cross River State had lost its once enviable and leading position as destination of choice for tourists, both local and international.
He said the loss in the area of tourism resulted in the death of many top rate tourism assets such as the Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort and Marina Resort, among others.
Said Attoe: “Cross River State used to rank first in Africa for tourists who would visit here and go to places like Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort, the Marina Resort and a number of other places, including the Tinapa Business Resort…
“So, we came to buy this form to show him our support and our preparedness to follow him in his quest to wrest power from this current administration.”
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Ibeshi stormed the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar on July 28, and declared his intention to run for Cross River State governorship, calling his campaign focus “Rescue 2019.”
In his speech, he promised to revive all ailing state industries, bring to completion and operation all projects commenced by both Governors Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke, such as the Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort, Tinapa Business Resort, the Institute of Management and Technology, agricultural projects among others.
“The key to Tinapa and the Obudu Ranch Resort is entrepreneurship. Rest assured, I will make entrepreneurship become synonymous with Cross River State if you give me the mandate as governor in 2019,” Ibeshi had declared.
“Let me make it abundantly clear to all that my government will complete, actualise and activate all projects initiated and established by our very visionary governors, Donald Duke and Senator Liyel Imoke; because these projects have everything the state requires to make it great, self-sustaining and self-reliant.”
