By Jonathan Ugbal
Governor Benedict Ayade has explained his reason for leaving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He took to his verified Facebook page to explain that it was “borne out of the need to bring Cross River State in sync with the policies and programs of the federal government.”
Mr. Ayade announced his defection at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s office in Calabar on Thursday morning after a two-hour meeting with bigwigs of the party led by the interim Chairman of the party and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.
He had said that: “I believe that if everyone of us as governors joins hands with Mr President, I think we can sit on the same dining table and fashion out a way to govern this country.
“We need all Governors to recognize that it is not party that matters. It is character, it is honor, it is commitment to the vision of this great nation.
“We all need to as a team work ahead of the president by working towards building a prosperous country that the succession worries of 2023 will come without the fears and the worries the international community has for us.”
Governor Buni, accompanied by his counterparts in Ekiti, (Kayode Fayemi), Plateau (Solomon Lalong), Jigawa, (Mohammed Badaru Abubakar), Kebbi, (Abubakar Atiku Bagudu) and Imo, (Hope Uzodinma) said that they were elated in welcome Mr. Ayade and declared him, “the leader of the party in the state.”
Also present was the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva while Mr. Ayade’s deputy, Ivara Esu, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Eteng Jones among others.
