Governor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers State on Thursday announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor formally declared for the ruling party at the Cross River State Executive Council Chamber, Governor’s Office in Calabar after a two-hour meeting with seven APC governors led by the party’s interim chairman and governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.
He said the move was necessitated by the need for Cross River state, which has been emasculated economically following the ceding of its oil wells, to be in sync with the party at the center.
Ayade also attributed his move to the unique attributes of the President, Maj Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd).
“Having seen and known the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his commitment to this country, his nationalistic disposition and all the efforts he has made to bring Nigeria to where we are today, it is obvious that at this point, we needed to join hands with him to build a Nigeria that we can be proud of.
“We need all governors to recognise that it is not party that matters. It is character, it is honour, it is commitment to the vision of this great nation. We all need to know 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.
“I believe that if everyone of us as governor join hands with Mr President, I think we can sit on the same dining table and fashion out a way to govern this country,” Ayade stated.
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