Obono Obla

Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, the suspended chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property, says it’s only God that can stop him from clinching APC senatorial ticket for the Cross River Central Senatorial District seat in the National Assembly in 2023.

He said this in an interview on Tuesday, adding that no matter the scheming and power play by politicians, it is the people that will decide the candidate.

He said that, the members of his party from the 66 wards and six local government areas make up his senatorial district, noting that, they will determine his fate, not anybody else.

“It is also the Almighty God that will ultimately decide my destiny as far as it concerns my senatorial ambition. Only God can block me, not anybody else,” he said.

The former personal assistant to the president on prosecution also clarified that he was never ousted as a special assistant and was duly paid his severance benefits when the first tenure of Mr President ended.

He claimed that technically he still remains chairman of the recovery panel.

“I served as SA to the president from April 2016 to 28 May 2019 when the first tenure of the president expired. I was paid my severance benefits as it is customarily,” he said.

While responding to question on his suspension, he disclosed that, “maybe you are alluding to my suspension as chairman of the special presidential investigation panel for the recovery of public property. I was suspended as chairman of the recovery panel on 11 August 2019. Suspension is different from ouster. Technically I still remain the chairman because I was not removed but suspended.”