A former member of the Upper Legislative Chamber of the National Assembly,Sen Bassey Otu has described the defection of the Governor of Cross Rivers State, Professor,Ben Ayade as a sign of good things to come to the stare.
Speaking to current matters on Thursday in Asokoro, Abuja just after news of the governor,’s defection to APC hit the airwaves, Otu who represented Cross Rivers South Senatorial District in the 7th Assembly, said Ayade’s defection was a welcome development adding that Cross Rivers State had no business being in the opposition.
” It is a welcome development,As a matter of fact, In Cross Rivers State,we have nothing to gain remaining in the opposition.
” What he has done I believe is in the interest of Cross Rivers State, and the state is going to be greater and would benefit more from it.
Otu who is described by Cross Riveriens as kind hearted and service oriented politician said
” I can tell you that this development is what we need.. Cross Rivers cannot be isolated from the center. The governor has done the right thing. The people are happy with the governor’s defection.,We are glad.”
Ayade formally dumped his party, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and announced his defection to the All Progressives Congress APC on Thursday,May 20,2021 at the Cross Rivers State Executive Chamber, Governor’s office, Calabar after a meeting with 7 governors of the ruling APC led by the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee and Governor of Yobe state,Mai Mala Buni.
Ayade who disclosed that his defection was due to the nationalistic disposition of President Muhammadu Buhari and his commitment to the nation said it was neccessary to join hands with the president to build a better Nigeria.
” 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 honour,it is commitment to the vision of the 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 governors join hands with Mr President,I think we can sit on the same dining table and fashion out a way to govern this country” be said..
The All Progressives Congress had only a few months ago boasted that 7 governors of the PDP were already on their way to the party though those whose names were flaunted as possible defectors denied the move, Ayade’s movement to the APC has given credence to report that Indeed the defection plan of the 7 governors was conceited and never cooked up.
