The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has taken a swipe at the All Progressives Congress, APC, accusing the ruling party in Cross River State of poor leadership and misplaced priorities.
The ADC’s reaction followed a statement by the Cross River State Consultative Forum, CRSCF, which dismissed its recent stakeholders’ meeting.
The opposition party clarified that although it was formally registered in 2005, its coalition status is only six months old. Despite this, it claimed its presence has already unsettled the APC.
Describing the CRSCF’s attack as “empty propaganda,” the ADC argued that the comments were nothing more than a distraction from the “ineptitude” of the APC-led government.
“The people of Cross River State deserve better from the APC, instead of misplaced priorities and lack of vision,” the ADC declared.
The party demanded transparency, challenging the CRSCF to release the government’s manifesto and publish detailed records of federal allocations, local government allocations, internally generated revenue, tariffs, taxes, loans, and grants.
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“We need the government to show citizens tangible results of what they have done with all the money,” it added.
The ADC further accused the APC administration of operating “job placement scams,” where citizens are allegedly charged money to secure employment. According to Dr Effiong Nyong, the party’s national deputy publicity secretary and its 2023 governorship candidate, the practice has become widespread in the state.
It also slammed Governor Bassey Otu’s government for multiple taxation, saying it has forced many businesses to close and weakened economic growth. The party equally criticized the abandonment of industrial projects initiated by former Governor Ben Ayade, insisting those ventures could have strengthened the state’s economy.
Reaffirming its stance, the ADC stressed that it would not bow to “cheap blackmail” from the CRSCF or any government-backed group.