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By Akpan David, Calabar
The Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in Cross River State, Venatius Ikem has disclosed that despite that Gov Ben Ayade forcibly collected their massive party Secretariat, situated conspicuously on the Murtala Mohammed Highway Calabar from them yet the landlady still recognises them as her legal tenants and accepts rent renewals from them.
Ikem disclosed this in an interview Tuesday morning.
Ayade decamped from PDP to the national ruling party, APC, on 20 May 2021.
Two days after he ordered the seizure of the two storey PDP Secretariat building from PDP, re-painted it with APC colours,and stationed police armoured personnel carrier with detachment of armed policemen, debarring APC members and leaders from gaining access.
The PDP as a result approached the court where the matter is yet to be decided by the court.
PDP chairman said,
“The matter is still in Court. The important thing is that we have a place to operate from. We are comfortable in it but we will not stop pursuing the legitimate claim to our secretariat.
“We have sustained payment of rent on the premises despite not being in occupancy!
“We especially appreciate the landlady who has remained steadfast upholding the PDP as the only tenant she has.
“The wheels of Justice sometimes grind slowly but surely.”
Ikem said although they are comfortable at their new secretariat on Mary Slessor Road but will still prove to APC and Gov Ayade that secretariats do not win elections after all but the people that do and are behind the.
He accused the Governor of using state power arbitrarily to inconvenience them but maintained that such will soon be over.
Reacting, Ayade said they have right to the property because whilst in PDP he used to pay the rent, and he defected to APC which time tenancy expired, he had to renew it in the name of APC.
But In a statement issued during the heat of the seizure and signed by Estate Administrator of the property, Lawrence Asuquo and made available to journalists, he affirmed that PDP remained their tenants as he had no dealings with the APC.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to the fact that the property situated at 42A Murtala Muhammad Highway, Calabar which PDP holds as the tenant is presently being painted with APC colours.
“On behalf of the Estate of E. A Lawrence and myself as the administrator, I hereby state that PDP,s tenancy with the family is still subsisting and they remain my legal and recognised tenant.
“APC has never approached me for any such agreement so I am surprised to know of this development”,” the landlord said.
