C’River SUBEB Boss Picks PDP Ticket For Senatorial By-Election

With the race for the Cross River northern senatorial district by-election intensifying, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (CR SUBE, Dr Stephen Odey, Saturday, emerged the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary for the October 31 by-election.

Declaring Dr Odey winner, the chairman of the electoral panel, Hon Olorogun Taleb Tebite, said the SUBEB boss polled 450 votes to defeat his closest rival, Hon. Jarigbe Agom who scored 90 votes. He described the process as peaceful and orderly.


Speaking, one of the INEC officials who observed the primaries, Mr. Amula Timotheus expressed satisfaction with the exercise, saying the exercise was conducted in line with INEC guidelines and was therefore satisfactory.

However, Rt Hon Agom Jarigbe has rejected the results saying many delegates were excluded from voting and that he would take appropriate steps to seek redress.

Former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Venatius Ikem, Esq, who also spoke posited that what transpired was not a true reflection of a party primary because, according to him, even Hon Jarigbe had to leave when he noticed the level of irregularities which went on.



Ikem , who was also an automatic delegate from Obudu, alleged that some fake delegates were brought in from the back door just as officials from government House and security agents manhandled delegates.

Meanwhile one person was feared killed on Friday night in Ogoja, prior to the PDP primary even as Journalists and delegates were also mercilessly manhandled and tear-gassed at the venue of the event.

The name of the deceased was given as Charles Onwe while two others who were fatally injured had been hospitalized. Eyewitnesses, Okoro Igbang, said Onwe was stabbed to death on Friday, September 4, 2020 by a group of suspected thugs in Ogoja local government area of the state, and that those loyal to the two outstanding contestants in the primary, Rt Hon Jarigbe Agom and Dr Stephen Odey may have masterminded the violence.

Mr. Emmanuel Egwu, PDP Chapter publicity secretary in Yala local government area, who was also a delegate for the Obudu State Constituency and Cross River Northern Senatorial District by-elections indicted a sitting member of the State House of Assembly and two Commissioners for the attack.

He said three of his friends, who were in the car with him, Mr. Charles Onwe, Bob Igelle and Mr. Adibe were attacked with daggers machetes, adding “I and Mr. Igelle managed to escape while Mr. Onwe and Adibe, were left half dead, until Police around the area intervened and took them to the General Hospital Ogoja, where Mr. Charles Onwe was later confirmed dead, while the other two are still receiving treatments at the General Hospital, Ogoja”.

Spokesman for the Cross River state Police command, DSP Irene Ugbo, could not be reached at press time since her telephone lines were busy when our reporter called. Besides, the result of the primary election was being awaited as at the time of this report.

Recall that All Progressives Congress (APC) primary which took place on Friday had produced Barr Joe Agi and UniCal Vice Chancellor, Prof Zana Akpagu as candidates. While Barr Agi was declared winner at the National Secretariat of the party by the chairman of Cross River North Senatorial District Primary Election, Alhaji Suleiman Nakowa, the party Senatorial Returning Officer, Mr Lazarus Undie, said Prof Akpagu carried the day