I Am Still A Strong Member Of PDP — Ben Ayade
“I shall be disappointing some people by what I am about to say now. I am still a strong member of the Peoples Democratic Party and I have no intention of defecting to any party. PDP gave me wings to fly as Governor of Cross River State. Therefore, I cannot afford to revisit the party with such gesture of ingratitude. Senator Liyel Imoke and I have perfected plans to enhance consummate victory for the party in the state”. — Ben Ayade
It’s no more breaking news as everyone knows Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State is now romancing with his new political found love party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Governor took the bold step on May 20, 2021, when he defected officially from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP where he won his election as a Senator in 2011, Governor in 2015 and reelected again as a Governor in 2021, to the APC. But, what was the thing about said Nigerian politicians again?
In 2018, when rumours were flying about Ayade dumping the PDP to the APC ahead of the 2019 Governorship election and seeing that he won’t have any chance at the other side knowing fully how the PDP stronghold is in Cross River State and those to challenge for the ticket at the APC, the Governor decided to hold still.
It was even rumoured and alleged that Governor Ayade played a role in the over 100,000 votes gathered by President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC for the presidential election in the State. And on that day, Thursday, May 20, 2021, Ayade ended the rumours and officially “declared Cross River State an APC State” amidst many governors and other political big wigs.
On Saturday 6th, 2021, Weetalknaija was able to dig out the statement Ayade made in 2018 about the PDP that will surprise you and make you have a second thought about politicians when they make their politically motivated statements.
“I shall be disappointing some people by what I am about to say now. I am still a strong member of the Peoples Democratic Party and I have no intention of defecting to any party. PDP gave me wings to fly as Governor of Cross River State. Therefore, I cannot afford to revisit the party with such gesture of ingratitude. Senator Liyel Imoke and I have perfected plans to enhance consummate victory for the party in the state.
“My constant interaction with the president stems from the fact that he is the president of a country where I head a subsidiary unit and not the president of a party. Hence, we must cooperate with him for the success of our country. After the general elections, politics, in the national scheme, must be relegated to the back burner, while governance must be enthroned.
“Therefore, the only national party after elections is Nigeria. The entire record of history is quite consistent with the assumption that any society with distended politics, cannot differentiate between politics and governance. Such society is likely to back-pedal.
“I cannot be at enmity with the president to prove some loyalty to my party; I must not be attacking the president because my party is at the opposition. Such tendencies are abhorrent to liberal democracy and must be avoided”, Senator Ben Ayade said.
