By Jude Opara, Abuja 

Facts emerged that the Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, formally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to open up a political fight over the oil wells ceded to neighbouring – Akwa Ibom state by previous central government

Ayade, who for a long time was linked with a move to the APC, consummated his ambition at the Cross River State Executive Council Chamber, Governor’s Office, 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.

Ayade said he decided to join the APC, having identified 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, needed to be in sync with the party at the center.

“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, and 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.”

In his remarks, a visibly happy Buni said he and his team were in the state to formally welcome Ayade to APC.

 “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.”

 Cross River PDP is Crippled – Deputy Speaker

Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly, Joseph Bassey, has officially left the PDP for APC following the defection of Governor Ben Ayade.

Bassey told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview yesterday in Calabar that the governor’s move has crumbled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

He said that the governor was moving to the ruling party with all members of the State House of Assembly, Commissioners, elected local council chairmen, councillors, and over 6,000 political appointees in the state.

“I have already moved with the governor. Cross River is now an APC state and the House of Assembly has also moved with the governor. “We just have to help Cross River residents by aligning with the centre. Cross River receives the least allocation from the Federal Government and this is not good enough. “In the past six years, Cross River has been an opposition party; this is the first time we are missing touch with the centre.

“We don’t have oil wells, our allocation is low. Ayade has tried in using his intellectual capacity and ability to attract some federal government presence into the state.

 “We are left with two years in this administration and we must align with the centre for the interest of the state,” he said.

Bassey said that the state needed federal government’s support for the superhighway, the deep seaport, and other projects that the governor had initiated.

“For somebody like Ayade who has gone far to appoint over 6,000 persons into his government, it will be a difficult moment for PDP in Cross River.

“I think today marks the official burial ceremony of PDP in Cross River and this will affect the national because I see other governors joining the APC soon.

“With this movement, some of our people can now get better appointments at the centre. For us in Cross River we have moved,” he said. Ayade officially joined the APC at a ceremony in Calabar on Thursday attended by Gov. Mai Bala-Buni of Yobe, who is the Caretaker Chairman of APC and other governors.

No Secession Agitation in Akwa Ibom – Gov Emmanuel

In a related development, the Akwa Ibom state government stated its resolve to remain solidly behind Nigeria’s quest to remain united for growth and progress of the nation and its citizens.

Governor Udom Emmanuel stated this when he received course participants of the Strategic Management and Policy Studies Course 3 of 2020 from the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, at Government House, Uyo.

He noted that although Akwa Ibom would not join in the quest for secession, the state “strongly believes in a Nigeria that is founded upon the strong principles of justice, equity and fairness”.

The governor stressed that the state would not, in any way, support the disintegration of the country as it “has all available resources to become a great nation envisaged by its citizens”.

 Represented by the deputy governor, Mr Moses Ekpo, Governor Emmanuel appreciated the Armed Forces for its enormous contribution in ensuring unity and peace in the country and Akwa Ibom in particular, noting that no meaningful development can thrive under rancour.
He equally thanked the Federal Government for setting up the Army Resource Centre, which he said, “has contributed immensely towards providing strategic solutions to the wellbeing of the nation”.

 On the choice of Akwa Ibom for the Study Tour, Governor Emmanuel described it as a mark of honour and credited the progress in the state to the determination of his administration to improve on the available infrastructure as well as add value to governance.

 He listed several achievements of the state in different sectors including agriculture and air transportation, noting that Ibom Air would soon extend its services to the Northern part of the country and the West African sub-region.

Leader of the team and representative of the Director General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Major General James Akomolafe, said they were in the state for a four-day study tour.

He said the preference of Akwa Ibom for the research tour above other states was due to its peaceful ambience and the developmental progress it was making in spite of current global economic challenges.

 Some places visited by the team include Champion Breweries Plc, which the Major General observed was making steady progress as one of the oldest industries in the state.