CHIEF ANGELA ODEY CHARGES POLITICIANS TO SHUN THE ACT OF DEMONIZING OPPONENTS IN THE CAMPAIGN PROCESS

Office of the SSA to the Governor of Cross River State on Mobilization and Enlightenment

January 19, 2019

Chief Mrs Angela Ogeyi Odey, SSA to Governor Ben Ayade on Mobilization and Enlightenment, yesterday, condemned, in strongest terms, the use of hate speech, incitement of violence, demonization of opponents, delegitimization of candidates, among others.

Admonishing candidates contesting for elective positions and their supporters to engage the electorates with issue-based campaigns, she urged political parties and every interest group in Cross River State to call for the education of supporters, especially those in their Media Teams and those who have been indulging in the despicable acts of defacing as well as destroying posters and billboards.

Addressing Governor Ayade’s supporters, she said: “People campaign as if candidates vying for elective positions are not living among us; we forget that they come from families, grow up among people; so we speak of them as though they are strangers, angels and demons among us. Some people demonize and delegitimize opponents to project a good image of those they support.” “Some act like bugs on the social media, waiting for the next prey-poster to attack; they will never speak of the unique selling point of their candidates – I don’t know if a rational being will pay someone to do such a dirty job,” she sternly said.
She seized the opportunity to educate the electorates that the people’s Governor, His Excellency, Governor Ben Ayade, cannot be distracted by the fiery darts from the opposition, stating that it is only a governor who is not focused that will have time to attend to trivial issues such as hate speech and condemnation.

Further, the political iroko enjoined Cross Riverians to embrace the Industrialization Drive of Governor Ayade, adding that even a blind man would know that the Digital Governor is trying his best in Cross River State, given the meager allocation accruing to the state, after 76 oil wells from Cross River, were given to Akwa Ibom State.

“Even states receiving far more allocation than Cross River owe backlog of salaries, not to talk of embarking on capital projects; some go borrowing and floating bond on the NSE for subscription, we should be proud of His Excellency,” she informs the public.

She concluded that “a cow does not value its tail until it is cut off,” assuring them that Senator Prof. Ben Ayade’s name will be written in golden pen in the annals of Cross River State, when he will hand over power in 2023.