By CrossRiverWatch Admin
The PDP Governors Forum met in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Friday to discuss the state of the nation and to change the leadership of the forum but the Cross River state governor, Senator Ben Ayade was conspicously missing from the meeting, further fueling speculations that the governor is planning to decamp to the ruling APC.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state has been Chairman of the forum but he is handing over the reins of power to his successor, Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC who won the last governorship election in the state.
The PDP governors present at the meeting were said to have deliberated on the state of the nation among other pressing national issues and eventually resolved to hand the leadership of the forum to the Ekiti state governor who is the most senior governor in the forum based on time spent in office.
Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, while speaking to newsmen after the meeting which held in Abuja said: “As an integral part of the discussion, the governors of our party, among ourselves, as well as those who were unavoidably absent, unanimously appointed a new PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman.
“In line with the tradition of our party, we agreed to appoint our colleague, the most senior governor in PDP, Ayodele Fayose, the governor of Ekiti as new Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
“You are all aware that he is a committed party man, doing a wonderful job in his state. He is well experienced and committed to the ideals of our party.
“We have all unanimously appointed him as the new Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum to coordinate the affairs and activities of our forum and to work and collaborate with other structures of our party,” he said.
One of the state governors who was at the meeting who spoke with CrossRiverWatch told this reporter that: “We are not sure your state governor is still a member of our party. That is difficult to say though, until he tells us that openly but he is not showing enough interest in the affairs of the party. He cannot be described as a party man. He seems to feel that his political fortunes belong elsewhere outside of the PDP and it is his right to think so. But we are one united family as you can see with today’s event.
When CrossRiverWatch asked the governor who did not want to be named, if it’s true that Governor Ayade wants to decamp and dump the party, he simply said: “He is your governor, why are you asking me? You should ask him not me. We have been hearing the rumor too but you are in the best position to know as CrossRiverWatch.”
Governor Ayade departed Nigeria Friday night for China where he is currently holding discussions with investors in the Bakassi Deep Sea Port, one of the governor’s signature projects.
There have been speculations that the Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade may be planning to decamp to the ruling APC but the governor’s camp has consistently insisted that Ayade remains committed to the PDP and dispelled the rumor as a figment of the imagination of the governor’s detractors.