The Immediate past governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, says only the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) exists in the state.
Imoke stated this while playing host to his successor, Governor Ben Ayade as well as an unprecedented crowd of members of his political family at his country him in Itigidi, Abi Local Government Area on the first day of January.
Turning to a mammoth crowd of his political family and party faithful who had besieged his country home as early as 8.am to celebrate the New Year, the former governor, apparently reiterating the fact of a united PDP family, asked: “Do we have opposition in the state? Is anyone running against us in the next election?” to which the crowd chorused: “No!”
Continuing he insisted: “There is no other party and candidate in Cross River, only PDP and Governor Ayade.
In this state it is PDP all the way. Today is not for campaign but we will come back for campaigns,” the former governor said.
He described the gathering of the PDP family members at his home every first of January as “an annual retreat where we all come to give thanks to God and commune as a political family and as a larger family.”
Imoke thanked Governor Ayade for honoring and sustaining the yearly event of spending January first with him and the entire family at his Itigidi home, noting that, “we have been doing this for over 20 years now and I want to thank Ayade for doing us the honour of coming for this celebration.”
The gathering which turned out to a political carnival saw youth groups across the entire state display various placards and chanting support songs for Governor Ayade’s re-election bid.
In a brief remark, Ayade described the yearly gathering as fantastic, assuring the youths that he is working hard to give them a very bright and secured future.
“You are the future, it is for your sake that I am already becoming an old man. I am working hard to build your future,” he stated.
