Former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, has taken a swipe at former Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke, and Senator Liyel Imoke, for allegedly casting aspersions on Governor Ben Ayade in the course of their political campaigns.
It was gathered that Imoke had told a PDP campaign gathering that making Ayade a governor was a mistake that he regrets. He had gone on to chastise the governor for perceived wrongdoings.
This was followed by Duke, who in Obudu, described Ayade, as a failure, while campaigning for the PDP governorship candidate. Fielding questions, yesterday, at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre, Calabar, Ndoma-Egba said the statements credited to the duo were unbecoming of former occupants of exalted offices of the governor, saying: “It is the highest honour everywhere for anyone to be voted and given the mandate to lead as governor and that should not be lost on any occupant of that office, whether past or present.”
He said it was a widely known fact that the two former governors were at some point protégés of former Governor Clement Ebri, who brought them up politically and “fortunately Ebri is still alive and the two of them should take a cue from him on how to conduct themselves out of power.”
Ndoma-Egba added that he was well aware that Ebri had his frustrations and disagreements with two of them while they held sway as governors but he never went public with any condemnation because he sees the office of governor as sacred. Ndoma-Egba appealed to Duke and Imoke not to desecrate the high office they once occupied because it could get back to them.
He charged the media to start a debate on the standard of conduct for those in public office, whether past or present. Similarly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Senator Bassey Otu, condemned the attack on Ayade, saying: “For me, I feel very sad. These past leaders should be cautious.”
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