PDP Senator calls on party to disqualify opponent from Senatorial race

The representative of Cross River South Senatorial District in the senate, Mr Gershom Bassey has called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to disqualify another senatorial aspirant of the party from the Senatorial primary elections, Ntufam Ekpo Okon, from the race for allegedly instigating violence.

On Wednesday, Senator Bassey escaped being lynched at a hotel in Calabar, as supporters suspected to be loyal to Okon booed and threw sachet water at him as security agents tried to escort him to his car

They had descended on his car as they could not reach him and the back screen of the Prado jeep was smashed as he was hurried out of the hotel premises for safety.

Commenting on the incident, Bassey said after the attack he sustained some injury trying to dodge stones aimed through his shattered back screen.

“Violence must not stand, Ekpo should be disqualified, we cannot tolerate violence in this election. First of all why was Ekpo standing the election when he was disqualified by the election panel? It was only at the last minute that his name entered through whatever dubious means. Why was he in that election when all the people that were disqualified with him were disqualified? 21 of them were disqualified for various reasons ranging from tax, forgery, resignation and others. So why was he contesting that election, but be that as it may, having become contestants must he now become a violent contestant?” Bassey said.

However, Ntufam Okon, a former chairman of PDP debunked allegations that Senator Bassey was attacked on Wednesday by his supporters.

Speaking to reporters in Calabar on the events that transpired at the said hotel, he said, “We were holding meeting with the chairman of the Primary Committee, Col. Ahmed Usman in his hotel room when Gershom Bassey entered and started attacking me.  The O.C. SARS was there as well as the Area Commander and the DPO State Housing”

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“I was still with the chairman when he went out and I later learnt he was attacked for conniving with a member of the committee to hijack materials meant for the primaries.  That was why the primary election did not hold”.

Okon wandered how Gershom would have been attacked to the extent of being injured when he had heavy security operatives around him and described the allegation that his supporters attacked Gershom Bassey as false.

“All those who gathered at the stadium and eventually moved over to Transcorp hotel were members of the party who were delegates to the primary. They were frustrated that Gershom Bassey hijacked the materials which may have accounted for their reaction.  But he has security details and I don’t think he was wounded,” Okon said.