Two former governors of Cross River state, Mr Donald Duke, and Senator Liyel Imoke who fell apart over some issues have reconciled after 14 years, saying their reconciliation was for the good of the people of the state.
Duke and Imoke as well as the Senator representing Cross River south, Gershom Bassey were often referred to as “the three wise men of Cross River’s politics” due to the roles they played in midwiving the birth of a new Cross River in 1999.
Duke later fell apart with Imoke and left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but the defection of Governor Ben Ayade to All Progressives Congress (APC) seemed to have played the magic as the former governor returned to the party a day after Ayade left.
The reconciliation meetings held in two venues on Saturday as Imoke hosted the actual meeting in his private residence at State Housing estate, Calabar with some of the PDP founding members and stakeholders while Duke hosted the reception in his own private residence at Diamond Hill, Calabar.
In the close door meeting, the three politicians vowed to put behind them their differences and form a formidable front to recapture the state from the APC following recent decamping of the incumbent governor.
Speaking, Duke, amidst cheers and applause said, “its not about winning elections, we’re trying to build the people and not just winning elections and I think that is what politics is all about.
“We have a lot of work to do, a lot of people are waiting to hear from us and waiting to see that our house is in order and I want to say something; this house is in order.
“As long or as protracted as this has gone on, if we sat down and rob minds the issue would have vanished in 10 minutes. We needed an event like this were we would say what is your problem? We will still talk about it but that is not the issue now.
“Right now, there is the greatest thing at stake which is the corporate unity of all of us. I may have gone on sabbatical and temporary retirement but you’ll find no record of me retiring from PDP.
“We have work to do and we can’t sit down here to do this work. Just as in 1999 we traversed the length and breadth of this country. Let us go back to that root and once again traverse the length and breadth. Let our children who we want to put into the system see that their fathers are still around and are laughing because you see you can inherit anything.”
On his part, Imoke expressed excitement with the reunification and reassured the people of the state that PDP was intact and would certainly recapture the state come 2023 for the interest of the people and the state.
