What Cross River Will Gain As APC State—-Ita Giwa

<p><em>What Cross River will gain as it becomes APC state<&sol;em><br &sol;>&NewLine;<strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a> <&sol;strong>reports that Governor Ben Ayade who has been a member of the Peoples Democratic Party&comma; PDP&comma; has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress&comma; APC&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Prior to the defection&comma; Governor Ayade had complained about the manner he was being treated in PDP&comma; especially being denied the leadership of the party in the state&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Crisis had rocked the party in the state over the control of the party at all levels&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The Governor announced the decision after a closed-door meeting with six APC governors that lasted over an hour at the executive chamber of the Governor’s Office in Calabar&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The governors in attendance were those of Ekiti&comma; Kayode Fayemi&semi; Jigawa&comma; Mohammed Badaru&semi; Yobe&comma; Mai Mala Buni&semi; Kebbi&comma; Abubakar Atiku Bagudu&semi; Imo&comma; Hope Uzodima&semi; and Plateau&comma; Simon Lalong&comma; as well as the Minister of State for Petroleum&comma; Timipre Sylva&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Speaking during the defection&comma; Ayade said&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We need to join hands with President Buhari in his determination to enhance the fortunes of the country&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I need all governors to similarly join me and understand my decision to join the APC&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We need to work ahead with the president for the future and unity of Nigeria&period; We all need to sit at the same dining table with Mr Presidential to save Nigeria&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It is my responsibility to bring back Cross River to the centre in order to enhance her fortunes&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I therefore formally declare myself a member and leader of APC in Cross River State&period;”<br &sol;>&NewLine;Also&comma; speaking after Ayade joined the party&comma; Governor Buni said the governor automatically becomes the leader of the party in the state&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Reacting&comma; former Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on National Assembly&comma; Senator Florence Ita-Giwa&comma; said the decision of the Governor is a &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Right move in the right direction&period; Where the leader of the state goes&comma; I go with him&period;”<br &sol;>&NewLine;Speaking exclusively to OpenLife on Thursday afternoon&comma; Ita Giwa&comma; popularly known as <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;punchng&period;com&sol;">Mma Bakassi<&sol;a>&comma; stated further that &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Henceforth&comma; Governor Ben Ayade will be the political leader of APC in the state&period;”<br &sol;>&NewLine;Ita Giwa added that &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;As a minority party&comma; Cross River State can no longer afford to remain in minority to be denied federal benefits&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The State needs to move forward&period; Being in the ruling party will attract more federal infrastructure to Cross River&period; That is the reason I support governor Ben Ayade’s defection to APC&comma;” she told OpenLife emphatically&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;