Reveals How He Stepped Down for Party Unity*
_In a telephone interview with Abuja Reporters, Ijom Ukam says he withdrew from the primaries after a consensus deal and focused on keeping the party united_
Cross River State Commissioner for Youth Development and Skill Acquisition, Ijom Ukam, has dismissed claims that he sponsored violence during the party primaries, saying he left the race willingly and worked to keep the party united.
Speaking to _Abuja Reporters_ in a telephone interview, Ukam explained that party members had agreed on a consensus candidate, prompting him to publicly withdraw. He said the decision was meant to avoid division ahead of the elections.
“If you check my Facebook page, you will see my formal declaration where I publicly withdrew from the race,” he said.
Ukam, who previously ran for the House of Representatives, described himself as a party loyalist and grassroots mobilizer. After stepping aside, he said he backed the candidate who emerged and later accepted a nomination as commissioner.
He also addressed allegations that he mobilized supporters to attack opponents at the party primaries venue. According to him, he arrived prepared for the exercise but met tension and confusion, partly linked to missing funds that were later recovered. He added that some participants were lodged in separate hotels, which fueled misunderstandings.
On claims of an attack, Ukam pointed to the video footage making rounds on the internet and said the acclaimed victim was not injured in any way in the video. ‘He showed no injuries or coordinated assault.
“If you watch the video, you will see that there was no actual attack, his necklace was intact, his wrist watch was intact and even his bangles were all intact. You cannot say you were attacked by 50 cultists and there is no bruise, no injury nothing to show for it,’ he quipped. Nobody on the stage sustained any injury, it was all staged he revealed. The amiable commissioner further queried how the man who claimed he was attacked was able to count the number of people who attacked him and why in the viral video, someone was overheard telling him what to say even though he was the one attacked.
He called the allegations a political move to damage his reputation and said he remains in good standing with party leaders, National Assembly members, and grassroots supporters.
Political analysts say the dispute reflects the usual friction around consensus deals and candidate selection in Nigerian party primaries, where withdrawals and competing interests often spark controversy.
