EXCITING NEWS: TNG WhatsApp Channel is LIVE…
Subscribe for FREE to get LIVE NEWS UPDATE. Click here to subscribe!
The only elected member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State, Hon. Alex Egbona, the member representing Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives has bared his mind on the defection of the State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade to the ruling party.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Governor Ayade, elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), along with members of the PDP in the State, elected, appointed or otherwise, became defected members of the APC on Thursday.
Ayade declared Cross River as an APC State at the State Executive Council Chamber, Governor’s Office in Calabar after a two-hour meeting with seven APC Governors led by the APC interim chairman and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.
Speaking on the development, Egbona, who now happens to be the only elected member of the APC in the State, in a statement, expressed excitement on the defection of Ayade, saying the Governor’s defection has opened up a new chapter for the people of Cross River.
The statement reads: “History has been made today in Cross River State, as our governor, Prof Ben Ayade leads scores of PDP members and critical stakeholders from the state to the ruling APC. It feels good to see that our dear state is now listed in the comity of progressive states.
“Before now, I was like a lone child, being the only elected member of the party from Cross River. But today, the music has changed. Other elected personalities have now joined the fold. The broom revolution has hit Cross River State and our people will be the greatest beneficiaries.
“The coming into the APC of our governor and some members of the state house of assembly, National Assembly, political appointees, local government chairmen and all progressive minded Cross Riverians has opened up a new chapter for us as a people. It speaks of better days for Cross River State in the days ahead.
“This is what we have been waiting for. Getting our state back into the federal architectural ecosystem is the best thing to happen to us at this time.
“In my capacity as the elected representative of the APC from Cross River, I am glad to welcome Nigeria’s first digital governor, a humble servant of the people, a senator of the Federal Republic, a friend and compatriot, Prof Ben Ayade, to the APC family. I also welcome all the other defectors to the family. I am ready to work with the new family members to take our state to the next level”.
TNG reports Governor Ayade on Thursday dumped the PDP for the APC, highlighting the character attributes of President Muhammadu Buhari and the realisation that Cross River, which has been emasculated economically, following the ceding of its oil wells, need to be in sync with the party at the center, as the main reasons for joining the APC.
According to the governor, “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 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.
“I believe that if everyone of us as governor joins hands with Mr President, I think we can sit on the same dining table and fashion out a way to govern this country.”
Speaking on the development, an elated Buni said he and his team were in the state to formally welcome Governor Ayade to the APC.
His words: “I am here on behalf of the APC family to welcome His Excellency the Executive Governor of Cross River State formally to the APC. As from today he is the leader of the party in the state.”
Other APC governors who witnessed the event were Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Solomon Lalong of Plateau State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and his Jigawa state counterpart, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
Also present was the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylver.
Others at the meeting were the state deputy governor, Prof Ivara Esu, Speaker of the state house of assembly, Rt. Hon. Eteng Williams Jones and members of the state house of assembly, some National Assembly members, members of the Cross River State Executive Council members, local Government chairmen, councilors and some stakeholders, including Dame Princess Florence Ita-Giwa and High Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong amongst others.