Former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa on Monday stated that Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers state feels threatened by her joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ita-Giwa also cried out that her life is being threatened for daring to expose the diversion of relief materials meant for the displaced people of Bakassi.
It would be recalled that Ita-Giwa recently alleged the diversion of the materials she sourced for from the National Refugee Commission for victims of a fire outbreak in Dayspring Island in Bakassi.
She pointed accusing fingers at some officials of Cross Rivers state government.
Addressing a press conference in Lagos, the former adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo said she has become a butt of attacks for dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“From my observations, it appears to me that Gov. Ayade feels threatened by my joining the APC for whatever reason. I don’t recall any other former PDP stalwart in the state who decamped to the APC being so persecuted as I am.
“Could it be that Gov. Ayade is picking on me because of my gender or my enormous electoral appeal? I choose to believe the latter as I would like to believe that Ayade is not a misogynist, and he ought to know that I have never played gender politics,” she said.
Ita-Giwa said instead of delivering the materials which include bags of cement, wood and packs of zincs, to those they are meant for, some officials of the state government shared them among themselves and sold to the market.
She explained that some individuals she described as sycophants had also alleged that she accused Governor Ayade of taking part in the plot to divert the relief materials, pointing out that she never accused the governor of having a hand in the diversion.
“At no time did I mention Governor Ayade’s name as a culprit in the crime I helped expose as can be seen from the televised reports of the incident.
“Moreover, I was instrumental to his emergence as Governor as I gave material, moral and financial support to his campaign even at a time; I was estranged from the PDP.”
Ita-Giwa also commended President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the Cross River people had never been so honoured, saying, ““It is on record that the Head of Service of the Federation; the Chief of Naval Staff; the Auditor General of the Federation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria are all Cross Riverians. Indeed, we have never been so honored by any administration in the history of Nigeria”.
