A Senator representing Cross River South senatorial district, Prince Bassey Otu has declared winner of the All Progressives Congress, APC primary and emerged as the party flagbearer for the 2023 Governorship election in Cross River State.
Otu who had earlier emerged as a consensus candidate of the party won in the APC primaries held on Thursday, at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar, the State capital.
The governorship primary election results that was announced in the early hours of Friday, Senator Otu polled 811 votes to defeat his closest rival, Sen. John Owan-Enoh who scored 84 votes and Barr. Chris Agara who polled 63 votes.
The former House of Representatives Member for Odukpani/Calabar Municipality Federal Constituency polled 84.5% of the votes, while Owan-Enoh, a former Senator Representing Cross River State Central Senatorial District and Agara, a businessman and oil mogul scored 8.9% and 6.6% of the total votes.
The election was attended by the governor of the State, Prof. Ben Ayade, and several other APC stakeholders and members.
The All Progressives Congress screening panel headed by DIG Suleiman Fakai had earlier disqualified Otu following several petitions written against him, regarding his certificate and record of past conviction.
According to a news report, one of the petitions dated 14 May was submitted by Messrs B. Dakum and co, a firm of lawyers.
Although the committee found no evidence of Otu’s conviction, it found his academic credentials questionable, when he (Out) could not produce his first leaving certificate nor his WASC. He could only produce his secondary school testimonial.
A unanimous decision by the 17 Governorship aspirants and Party critical Stakeholders had earlier declared Senator (Prince) Bassey Otu as the consensus candidate of the APC for the 2023 governorship election in Cross River State.
The meeting, which was presided over by Governor Ayade, had in attendance the State Chairman, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba, other Exco members and the 17 Gubernatorial aspirants under the platform of the APC.
However, some of the aspirants disagreed afterwards, with Pst. Usani Usani, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs leaving the APC to join PRP and Barr. Agara proceeding to purchase the Interest and Nomination forms under the same party.
Owan-Enoh, on the other hand, stepped down and threw his full support behind Prince Otu on May 19, 2022, in a critical stakeholders meeting held in Calabar.
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