Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade says he left the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) because of the personal relationship he has with President Buhari.
He made the declaration in Abuja on Thursday, while speaking to State House Correspondents, after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, for the first time, since joining the APC.
“I moved into the APC because of my personal relationship with Mr President. I have watched him and I find honesty, integrity and I see his wish and commitment to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. To that extent, I have a leader that I trust,” Governor Ayade said.
Ayade told Journalists that he still respects the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He said: “I am one of the strong Nigerian Governor who has risen beyond party lines and ethnic lines by virtue of my education and exposure. My choice to join APC is generating a lot of concern for the PDP occasioned by the fact that it came as a rude shock.
“And sincerely, it is indeed a rude shock because until I defected, I was a very strong member of the party in truth and in spirit. In addition, the reality is that PDP had the best result in Cross River state – of all the elected offices, all the chairmen of councils, all the counsellors, all the National Assembly members but one, all the chairmen of the local governments, all commissioners, all the appointees, all of them were PDP before I defected.
“So, in terms of performance of PDP, it should be highest performance in the last election in Cross River, which means of all the elected offices, except for one office, PDP cleared all.
“So, for such a governor who led PDP to such a victory, to defect to APC, definitely, it must come as a very, very rude shock.
“And I’m not here to discuss PDP, because I still have my respects or regards for that party. It is a party that gave me opportunity to be a senator. It is a party that gave me opportunity to be a Governor.
“And so, at all times, I have chosen to focus on APC and my dreams and reasons for my movement to APC.”
Also Read: APC Governors commend Governor Ayade’s courage
Governor Ayade rationalized his defection to the APC, taking exception to the habit of the opposition to celebrate every negative occurrence in government.
“Opposition in the third world means let everything happen that will make the other party look bad.
“The increasing insecurity in Nigeria as Nigeria suffers attacks from extraneous aggressors paid militia and bandits, the opposition party only celebrates that because they believe it gives them a chance to win in 2023.
“So, opposition becomes very cannibalistic. So, you rejoice over the bloodbath in your country, you rejoice over the level of insurgency and killings in your country just because you are playing opposition.
“The country is snowballing into a civil strife. We need to come together and support Mr President to overcome the insurgency which is characterized by external militias who are paid for the purpose,” he said.
The Governor called on his counterparts still in the PDP to join him in the APC, to support President Buhari’s vision of leaving Nigeria better than he met it.
Zainab Sa’id
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