The gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Cross River State, Barr Eyo Ekpo, has said that he was not going to tribunal to challenge election results of March 9 but he will rather join other well-meaning Cross Riverins to pray for a second tenure that will be better than the first.
He vowed not to provide cannon fodder for lawyers and rumour mongers even though the popular will was intimidated, subverted and cast aside by vote buying, multiple thumb printing, violence, intimidation and enough malpractices.
Ekpo, who made this known in a statement yesterday in Calabar lamented that part of his woes was from his own party officers who became traitors and betrayers before and on election day, selling us out for such a miserable and paltry mess of pottage.
His words: “Nevertheless, I will not provide cannon fodder for lawyers and rumour mongers by going to an election tribunal. Instead, I will look to the future and join to pray that Governor Ben Ayade’s second tenure will be much better than the first; so that sooner rather than later, our beloved State shall be firmly placed once again on the path of steady growth and development in an atmosphere of high-quality governance and well-secured, lasting peace.
“Sadly, the popular will was intimidated, subverted and cast aside by vote buying, multiple thumb printing, violence, intimidation and enough malpractices to make a voluminous text, all with election officials looking on helplessly, or in many cases actively collaborating.
“This was compounded by some of my own Party officers, who became traitors and betrayers before and on Election Day, selling us out for such a miserable and paltry mess of pottage,” he decried.
Speaking further, Ekpo called on governor Ayade to adopt his blueprint which he made public during his campaign in a bid to move the state forward.
He said: “Any unbiased follower of our campaign will testify that Cross Riverians appreciated and bought into our F.R.E.S.H. Manifesto which was made public earlier on in the campaign.”