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By Akpan David, Calabar
Two former governors in Cross River State, Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke as well as Senator Gershom Bassey who represents the southern senatorial district have now restored their relationship which went soured since 14 years ago.
Duke and his successor Imoke did not see eye to eye after the former handed power to Imoke in 2007.
The cause of the friction is thought to be refusal or inability of Imoke to carry on their successorship plan to favour Gershom Bassey.
The three musketeers hqve been very close friends since 1999.
The reconciliation meetings first held on Saturday at Imoke’s residence while the concluding version held at Duke’s over bottles of water.
Some of the PDP founding members and stakeholders were present at the reconciliation meeting.
The reconciliation is said to be towards putting up a formidable front to recapture the state from the All Progressives Congress (APC) following recent decamping of governor Ben Ayade from the PDP to the APC.
At the meeting, Duke said, “its not about winning elections, we’re trying to build the people and not just winning elections and I think that is what politics is all about. We have a lot of work to do, a lot of people are waiting to hear from us and waiting to see that our house is in order and I want to say something; this house is in order”.
He said “as long or as protracted as this has gone on, if we sat down and rob minds the issue would have vanished in 10 minutes. We needed an event like this were we would say what is your problem? We will still talk about it but that is not the issue now. Right now, there is the greatest thing at stake which is the corporate unity of all of us. I may have gone on sabbatical and temporary retirement but you’ll find no record of me retiring from PDP. We have work to do and we can’t sit down here to do this work. Just as in 1999 we traversed the length and breadth of this country. Let us go back to that root and once again traverse the length and breadth. Let our children who we want to put into the system see that their fathers are still around and are laughing because you see you can inherit anything.
Also speaking, Imoke expressed excitement at the reconciliation.
He reassured the people of the state that the PDP was intact and will certain recapture the state come 2023 for the interest of the people and the state.
