(UPDATED): APC, here I come, Cross River Governor, Ben Ayade, declares as he jumps ship, bids PDP farewell

The plan was perfected long ago. But the execution of the plan was put on hold until the most appropriate time. That time is today, Thursday, May 20, 2021.

Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, an academic of the professorial rank, a businessman and former member of the Senate, who came to political prominence on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has just dumped the party, bidding it a wry farewell.

He is porting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, significantly providing the entry point for the APC into the PDP-dominated South-south zone.

What APC lost in Edo in a gritty election that came on the heels of a witty electioneering, it has gained in Cross River without firing a shot.

The prize seemingly came on a platter, but then the trajectory can be traced to the outset of the chummy relationship between Ayade and President Muhammadu Buhari in their first term.

Ayade had then invited Buhari to perform the ground breaking of his ambitious project- the superhighway- which would appear to have since become an abandoned midstream project.

Regardless, Ayade has been enjoying a close relationship with Buhari.

Despite the move by the PDP to sort out the leadership crisis that was contrived as an excuse to dump the party, with Governor Aminu Tambuwal and two others visiting Calabar for discussions with him, Ayade’s mind would seem made up as he announced his decision on Thursday morning in a meeting with six APC governors who visited him at the Government House.

Ayade reportedly made the announcement in Calabar, capital of the State, and was received by Yobe Governor and APC caretaker Committee Chair, Mai Mala Buni.

Ayade’s reception by Buni was confirmed by Buni in a statement signed on his behalf by the Director General of Press and Media in the Yobe State Government House, Mamman Mohammed

In another development, one of Ayade’s media aides had taken to the social media platforms to gleefully announce the movement of his boss to the APC.

!▪︎Why I joined APC- Ayade

But speaking later on why he was joining the APC, Ayade highlighted the character attributes of President  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, as the main reasons for defecting.

According to the governor, in a statement issued by his media office, “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.

Read him: “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 Sylva.

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.

▪︎Ayade directs his followers, loyalists in government to follow him to APC

Meanwhile, consequent upon Governor Ayade’s announcement of platform change, he has directed his followers and loyalists to join him in the APC

Acting in  accordance, the leadership of the Cross River State House of Assembly has made its intention known to join him in the APC.

Leaders of the House have announced  their defection from the PDP to the APC to realise an APC controlled State Legislature.

There were clearer indications earlier in the day that Ayade’s alleged disagreement with Governor Wike of Rivers State was one of the reasons he dumped the PDP.

Ayade is the second governor that Wike had reportedly pushed out of the PDP. The first was Ebonyi Governor, Dave Umahi, who defected to the APC some months ago.