Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State says he joined the All Progressive Congress (APC) to connect the state to the government at the center.
Mr Ayade dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he used its platform in becoming governor twice. He has been threatening to dump the party if nothing is done to address alleged unfair treatments meted out to him.
But on Tuesday, the Cross River State helmsman announced his defection from the PDP to the APC, saying he was drawn to the ruling party due to the leadership qualities of the president.
“This morning, I formally joined the All Progressives Congress,” the governor said on Twitter after a two-hour meeting with APC governors who came to receive him into the party. “This decision was borne out of the need to bring Cross River State in sync with the policies and programs of the federal government.”
“I believe that if everyone of us as governors joins hands with Mr President, I think we can sit on the same dining table and fashion out a way to govern this country.
“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,” he added.
A delegation from the APC, led by governor of Yobe State and caretaker committee chairman, Mai Buni, received him into the party.
“I am here on behalf of the APC family to welcome His Excellency the Executive Governor of Cross River State formally to the APC,” Mr Buni said. “As from today, he is the leader of the party in the state.”
