Buhari’s victory party causes gridlock in Calabar

Supporters of the All Progressives Congress in Cross River State on Wednesday caused gridlock along major roads in Calabar during a victory march to celebrate the emergence of Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as president-elect.

The party also seized the medium to assure Cross Riverians that Buhari, would compensate the state over the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroon and loss of 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State.  The president-elect had during his electioneering campaign in Calabar promised that his administration would compensate the state if voted into power.

The state chairman of APC, Mr. Usani Usani, said this in Calabar while responding to questions from journalists after the party supporters had embarked on the victory rally.

Vehicular movements were slowed down along the ever-busy Marian Road, where jubilant party faithful took to peaceful march.

The state party chairman also said the APC was ready to receive defectors from the opposition party.

However, speaking on the compensation, Usani said, “The personality of Buhari is one who does what he says. You are all witnesses to when he was a military head of state for less than two years. During this period, he serviced foreign debts and our foreign reserves increased.

“He recorded achievements which remains indelible in the history of this country till date, that is Buhari for you. So, his promises to Cross River are not campaign gimmicks but he will do what he promised.”

The state party chairman said the party’s manifesto was a reference point, adding that the retired general would keep to his promises.

Usani thanked supporters of the APC for conducting themselves in very civilized manners during the campaigns, noting that the party did not record any incident of violence.

“We did not record any ugly incident during all our campaigns, whereas other parties experienced very ugly incidents with some leading to the loss of innocent lives,” he said.

He urged the electorate in Cross River State to vote en masse for the APC in the April 11 governorship and state house of assembly election so as to align with the party at the federal level.

Usani said the party agents had been trained to go back to the wards to canvass for votes from the electorate ahead of the election.