C-River Polls: PDP Chieftain Rues Defeat, Salutes APC Governor-elect

BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – A Chieftain of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River, Senator Gershom Bassey has expressed regrets over the March 18, 2023 governorship election outcome in the State, describing it as an outright rejection of the opposition Party by the people.

Congratulating the Governor-elect Prince Bassey Edet Otu of the All Progressives Congress  (APC) for his victory at the polls, Chief Bassey, who is also the Senator representing Cross River South senatorial district in the National Assembly, said the results clearly demonstrate that PDP has unfortunately lost touch with the feelings of the people.

According to him, it is a sad commentary that with an unbroken record of about 22 years firm grip on governance in the state, the stark reality on ground portrays a party that now lives on past glory having deviated from the fundamental principles of equity and fairness as propounded by its founding fathers in the State.

He said the rejection and outrageously poor performance of the Party that hitherto was winning elections effortlessly in the State with great applauses from the people call for urgent introspection by all stakeholders to determine what went wrong and also chart a fresh course forward.

For him, the main opposition Party in the State still enjoy some levels of goodwill that should be harvested and deployed as the fresh building blocks for a rejuvenated and new-look PDP.

The lawmaker however urged the Governor-elect to learn from events of the past that have fragmented the PDP by always listening to the yearnings of the masses to avoid falling into the same odious pit of rejection and abandonment in future elections.

He charged PDP members and supporters to take solace in the fact that the just-concluded polls clearly demonstrate that Cross Riverians have unwavering faith in the existing power rotation arrangement in the State.

Senator Bassey said the election outcome across the three senatorial districts should serve as a strong statement for selfish politicians and their sycophantic followers that the people would not sacrifice the overall good of the State to promote the personal ambition and self aggrandizement of any so-called political leaders.