The Peoples Democratic
Party, (PDP), yesterday shunned an interactive session organized by the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress for candidates contesting elections under different political parties in Cross River state.
The forum, which the NLC Chairman in the State, Comrade John Ushie, said was aimed at assessing the capacity of the candidates in addressing the myriads of problems in the State, was attended by the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party.
Ushie said, “workers are desirous of knowing who governs them and how they intend to address the various issues which directly or indirectly affect them particularly on living wage, unemployment, power supply, government –Labour relation, taxation and security amongst others.”
While House of Representatives and State House members from the APC and Labour Party across the state attended, no candidate from the ruling party was present..
Among the three front line governorship candidates, only Odey Ochicha of the APC was present at the occasion to respond to questions from a four-man panel chaired by Arch Bishop Anthony Edra Ugbo, the immediate past Metropolitan Arch-Bishop of Calabar.
In his reaction, the NLC chairman said the ruling party was adequately informed of the event and wondered why the party could not send even a representative.
“No political party and government can do without the NLC. The fact that the PDP has not come is a bad precedent. It is like saying ‘we will not work with you in the next dispensation’ but they must work with us.
“This is just the beginning, let us believe they will come when next we have similar forum,” he said.
Friday Nwagbara, Calabar
