Former Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, has debunked claims within political circles in the state that he collected money to install Professor Ben Ayade as the state governor in 2015.
Imoke stated this on Sunday night at a Peoples’ Democratic Party (PPD) stakeholders meeting at Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel in Calabar where he and some top members of the party declared that the PDP would even be stronger in the state without Ayade who defected on Thursday to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said: “I thought I have retired from politics. I was retiring in bits and handing over to some people, but I had to come back at this time. Our tradition in PDP was destroyed. So we have to come back. Our politics is sweet, we don’t play politics of fear. We don’t play politics of intimidation, and we don’t play politics of harassment. The PDP is not dead in Cross River State.
“It is unfortunate. I took all responsibility, and all risk for the emergence of this administration, I have watched this government even accuse me of collecting money to put them in government.
“Can you imagine! What an insult! Do you have money for the election? Yet you people believe them that I, Liyel Imoke, son of Samuel Imoke sold Cross River State to somebody for doing them a favour; for working hard to put them in power.”
Imoke said Ayade left the PDP on his own accord as no member of the party told him to leave.
“He left at his own volition, and his movement is divine because those who made the PDP what it is at the grassroots in the state are still in the party and the party will be stronger without Ayade.
“The party does not belong to the governor. We are taking it back to the people. I won’t talk much today, so we don’t reveal our secrets. We are not going to reveal the secrets of our strategy.”