Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River state has again reiterated that he’s not leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A statement signed on Tuesday his spokesman, Christian Ita, said such allegation against Governor Ayade was completely false.
Ita said the state governor was in Aso Villa, Abuja to discuss with President Muhammadu Buhari on the industrial strides and agricultural revolution happening in the state.
“The essence of my visit to Mr. President is to share with him a quarterly brief like I have always done, giving him a clear idea and indication of what Cross River State has done so far, particularly in our major signature projects, and not party politics.
“Our discussion also extended and included issues that border on financial status of Cross Rivers State vis-a-vis the Supreme Court judgement in relationship with the loss of Bakassi and its downstream economic implication of the federal government action and position on the issues that deal with consistent support to Cross River State,” Ayade was quoted as saying.
Our correspondent reports that some PDP lawmakers in the National Assembly from the state, who pleaded to remain anonymous, had made public the governor’s purported intention to decamp to the ruling APC.
Addressing journalists in Calabar, the lawmakers also spoke on the governor’s alleged imposition of candidates in the forthcoming local governments’ election and state of the party in the state.
“It is a well crafted plan, better still, if his candidates stay in APC and win, he will move over to APC with them.
“The governor went to see the President yesterday and this is causing some dissatisfaction at the PDP national level.
“He has tried to lobby national lawmakers to move to APC with him and some of us refused. But we are in a quagmire with PDP in Cross River State.
“As National Assembly members, he has not allowed us to have any candidates in the upcoming council elections because categorically we have not gone through the Electoral College,” spokesperson for the lawmakers alleged.
