LP denies alliance with APC in Cross River ahead weekend polls

By Christiana Ekpa

The Labour Party (LP) in Cross River State has distanced itself from the alleged alliance between the ruling All Progressives Alliance (APC) and Odey Brian who claimed to be the LP candidate in the forthcoming State House of Assembly election for Yala 1 Constituency.
Brian had appeared with the Cross River APC chairman, Barrister Alphonsus Eba, at a news conference at NUJ Press Centre, Calabar, where Eba had declared that the APC has decided to project and sponsor the LP candidate since its own candidate, Regina Anyogo, was disqualified by the Supreme Court last week.
According to the APC chairman: “We have decided to go into alliance with the Labour Party in the state. We also want to identify with this young man, Brian Odey who was able to mobilise vast numbers of votes for Labour Party. We have agreed that while we support him with all he needs to win the election as member representing Yala 1 State Constituency, he will also work substantially to boost votes for our governorship candidate, Prince Bassey Otu, instead of Prof Sandy Onor, the PDP candidate.”
The APC chairman also said that the Labour Party has no governorship candidate and, therefore, is now willing to work with the APC.
Reacting swiftly in a statement, the leadership of the Labour Party in the state distanced itself from the said alliance and also denied that Brian Odey is the party’s candidate for the weekend election.
LP further affirmed that Ogar Osim remains its governorship candidate for March 11 election.
Cross River State Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Dr L.U. Ofem, who signed the statement on behalf of the party chairman, said: “Labour Party is not in any alliance with APC or any political party. LP has its governorship candidate in the person of Patriarch Ogar Osim who is very much in the race to victory.”
He affirmed that the purported endorsement of a certain Brian Odey as the LP candidate for Yala 1 State Constituency was an exercise in futility as he “has no affiliation with LP Cross River State structure.”
In measured words, Ofem stated: “LP CRS completely dissociates itself from the arrangement.”
The desire of the APC to draw closer to LP, he claimed, is a result of the LP’s massive win in the state as well as in Yala LGA during the presidential election, adding that APC now sees LP as a bigger threat.