The All Progressives Congress in Cross River State on Monday called for the impeachment of Governor Ben Ayade over numerous alleged constitutional breaches.

The party, in a press briefing in Calabar, said apart from the constitutional breaches, the various security challenges in the state was enough reason for the governor to be impeached.

The state APC Chairman, Mr. John Ochala, alleged that the lukewarm attitude of the present leadership of the state to serious matters of public concern in the state, including security of lives and property, was only one aspect of the failure of the PDP-led government.


 
Ochala spoke alongside the National Vice-Chairman of the APC (South-South), Mr. Hilliard Eta, and a former member of House of Representatives, Mr. Paul Adah.

He said three prominent indigenes of the state, including a chieftain of the party, Senator Patrick Ani, had been kidnapped in the last one week.

The APC state chairman also noted that apart from the increased cases of armed robbery and kidnappings in Calabar in recent times, a number of communities in the state were involved in unending communal clashes because of what he termed the near absence of governance in the state.

Ochala said, “If the House of Assembly do not find any area for which to indict and consequently impeach Ayade, we wish to point to them that the governor has consistently stayed out of the state for a period longer than what the constitution prescribes, without duly transmitting the reins of governance to his deputy as prescribed by the relevant statutes.

“Also, he has acted contrary to the provisions laid out in the second schedule of the constitution by attempting to, among others, create a police force in the guise of Green Police, Homeland Security which are in the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government.”

Also speaking, Eta said the first line of charge of any serious government was security, adding that the party had over the period restrained itself from protesting over the insecurity challenges in the state.

A former House of Representatives member, Mr. Paul Adah, called on the governor to tackle the security challenges, saying no investor would want to invest in a state that was not secured.

In his reaction, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Egbung Odama, however, said the APC as an opposition had no business with impeachment matters, adding that the ruling party was satisfied with the conduct of Ayade