Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Top members of the ruling party, including governors and senators are currently at Government House, Calabar, where the defection was finalised.
Recall,All Progressive Congress (APC) Governors on Wednesday evening arrived Calabar, capital of Cross River to persuade Governor Ben Ayade to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
They arrived two weeks after a delegation of Governors Forum of the PDP visited to dissuade him from leaving the party.
The APC delegation was led by Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni, who is also the National Caretaker Committee chairman of the APC.
Buni arrived Calabar on Wednesday evening to join his Imo counterpart, Governor Hope Uzodima who had been on ground.
OBSERVERS TIMES reported that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has stated that one more Governor of the People’s Democratic Party will be defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
I can tell you, there is one PDP governor that will leave,” he said Wednesday during an appearance on Politics Today.
Governor Wike, however, declined to give the name of the governor or when he will leave the party.
Just like Umahi, he expects the governor to “come up with another excuse” when giving reasons for his defections.
“The point is that these are the people who have been playing anti-party (politics). They will be romancing with the APC in the night and coming out to PDP in the day time,” he said.
Anti-party activities have bothered Governor Wike for some time but he does not think the PDP is taking the problem as seriously as it should.
“My problem with our party is that when you speak the truth, they want to crucify you. I have raised this issue severally and severally and severally.”
Umahi’s defection has created a political storm, sparking angry reactions from the PDP and cutting down the number of governors the party has in the South-East to two (Abia and Enugu). The APC controls Imo and now Ebonyi, while APGA holds sway in Anambra.
Governor Wike believes that people attribute too much power to governors when the real power lies with the people.