Some members of Calabar South, Bakassi and Akpabuyo Local Government Areas of Cross River State have urged the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Cross River State to allow party stakeholders to produce a woman as Sandy Onor’s running mate.
Onor is the PDP governorship candidate in Cross River in 2023 general elections.
During the protest, the placard-carrying youths urged the party leadership not to allow PDP Reps aspirant in the party primary, Emana Ambrose Amahwe, to be Prof. Sandy’s running mate.
Some of the placards read, ‘Anything short of our demands shall sink this party to quagmire’ and ‘Emana, you cannot reap where you did not sow’.
The protesters marched to the PDP secretariat on Mary Slessor Avenue Calabar chanting, “We want a woman with capacity to join Senator Sandy in ensuring that the party emerges victorious in the governorship election of next year.”
Speaking, PDP ward 9 Chairman, Edem Oyom, said the party ought to thoroughly screen individuals seeking to be running mate to Prof. Onor.
Oyom said, “Emana is not popular to help the PDP floor the APC opponent in the general elections.
“We are being sidelined. If this continues the party will sink. What the party ought to do is proper screening of those nursing intention to work as Sandy’s running mate and thereafter pick an authentic individual who possesses the requisite capacity to act as Prof. Sandy’s running mate.”
The state PDP Secretary, Tony Idako, who addressed the protesters appealed for calm and assured the youths that as a party, the leadership has listening ears.
He promised to deliver their message to the party Chairman, Venatius Ikem, who was not around when the protesters to came to the PDP secretariat.
“We want the position to be given to women of proven integrity who are grounded,” they said.
Reacting to the protest on phone, the PDP House of Reps aspirant who lost the primaries to Rt Hon Essien Ayi who is the incumbent PDP House of Reps member for Bakassi, Akpabuyo and Calabar South Federal Constituency, Amahwe, said that she prefers to go about her business than join issues with anyone.
