We can reliably report that supporters of Sule Lamido in Cross River State are daggers drawn over a paltry N300,000 (three hundred thousand naira) the former Nigerian foreign minister and PDP presidential aspirant, doled out to three support groups in the state.
Lamido who was in the state last week as part of nationwide consultations he is presently holding, doled out the money to the three recognized support groups at the Transcorp Hotels, Calabar, as a gift to thank the groups for keeping up support for his aspiration.
Trouble is said to have started when the recipient of the cash (name held back), carefully passed the cash to his relative with instructions that he leaves the area to a secure place where the sharing formula will be worked out. The relative carried out the instruction and stealthily left Transcorp for the Cross River State House of Assembly, CRSHA, complex, opposite the U. J. Esuene stadium, Calabar, to carry out the assignment.
There was however a mild drama when the small contingent, driving in three cars, arrived the assembly complex. “John Gaul Lebo, Speaker of the CRSHA, was getting ready to leave office that evening when the three cars packed with guys drove in. Because of the kidnappings in Calabar, Lebo and his crew thought we were kidnappers and was only relieved when he discovered that we were just doing our political runs. He calmed down and gave us N50,000 and we were all surprised; you know the man is stingy”, a www.calitown.com source said.
After the sharing formula had been agreed on, it was further revealed that by the time they returned to Transcorp, two things happened. First, it was convincingly rumoured that one of Lamido’s hand luggage, containing a sizable sum of money had gone missing. Secondly, supporters who were not included in any of the three support groups had begun to stage a mild protest and it was resolved at that point that every supporter present must get something, no matter how little, several of the supporters went back with sums as little as one thousand naira.
“Whoever took Lamido’s bag is the person responsible for this problem. We got to hear that there was money in the bag taken away and that was why the man could not mobilize us well”, it was difficult to ascertain the truth in this submission at press time.