The Minister of Niger-Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, has dismissed insinuations that his governorship ambition is responsible for the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC), Cross River chapter.
Speaking to newsmen at the headquarters of the party yesterday in Abuja, through his personal aide, Mr Sam Bassy, the minister maintained that there is iota of truth in the speculation that he is fuelling the crisis because of his personal ambition.
Further noted that like every other committed members of the party in Cross River, his interest is to ensure that it was up and doing and without rancour in the state, arguing that his commitment is to ensure that there is a platform for nobody who wants to contest.
“We are all anxious to have the party moving, it is not about anybody, but about the APC in Cross River. If anybody is interested in contesting election, he must have a platform.
“That is the reason we are fighting to ensure that we move the party forward. I can categorically tell you that the misunderstanding in the party has nothing to do with the ambition of the minister to contest for governorship in the state,” he said.
He argued that the party under the acting chairmanship of John Ochalla would have no future and alleged that he was not carrying members along.
He said the APC in Cross River needed a vibrant chairman to actualise its desire of winning the state in 2019 general elections.
“We want to win election in Cross River and we need somebody that can stand out and lead the party from the office of chairman to get us to victory. The good thing is that the misunderstanding has been settled and we are ready to take over the Cross River government,” the minister’s aide said.
The crisis in the state chapter has led to forceful occupation of the party’s secretariat in Calabar by some members, who allegedly broke into the building and vandalised it.
The “aggrieved’’ members had claimed that there was a change in the leadership of the executive committee of the party in the state.
