By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, ABUJA

GOVERNOR Ben Ayade of Cross River State yesterday met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja after about two weeks he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Governor Ayade after he joined the ruling APC was supposed to be introduced by the leadership of the APC, but he was led to the President by Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari without the presence of the party officials.

Fielding questions after the meeting, he said that he was a truthful and committed member of the main opposition party until the day he left the party.

He also said that the party provided him the platform to become a Senator and Governor, adding that he still has great respect for PDP.

He, however, said that he left the PDP for the sake of President Buhari.

According to him, “I am one of the strong Nigerian Governors who have risen beyond party lines and ethnic lines by virtue of my education and exposure. My choice to join APC is generating a lot of concern for the PDP occasioned by the fact that it came as a rude shock.

“And sincerely, it is indeed a rude shock because until I defected, I was a very strong member of the party in truth and in spirit. And the reality is that PDP had the best result in Cross River state – of all the elected offices, all the chairmen of council, all the counsellors, all the National Assembly members but one, all the chairmen of the local governments, all commissioners, all the appointees, all of them were PDP before I defected.

“So, in terms of performance of PDP, it should be highest performance in the last election in Cross River, which means of all the elected offices, except for one office, PDP cleared all.

“So, for such a governor who led PDP to such a victory, to defect to APC, definitely, it must come as a very, very rude shock.

“And I’m not here to discuss PDP, because I still have my carry respects or regards for that party. It’s a party that gave me opportunity to be a senator. It’s a party that every opportunity to be a governor.

“And so at all times, I have chosen to focus on APC and my dreams and reasons for my movement to a APC.”

Ayade rationalized his defection to the APC, taking exception to the habit of the opposition to celebrate every negative occurrence in government.

He added: “I moved into the APC because if my personal relationship with Mr. President. I have watched him and I find honesty, integrity and I see his wish and commitment to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. To that extent, I have a leader that I trust.

“Opposition in the third world means let everything happen that will made the other party look bad.

“The increasing insecurity in Nigeria as Nigeria suffers attacks from extraneous aggressors, paid militia and bandits, the opposition party only celebrates that because they believe it gives them a chance to win in 2023.

“So, opposition becomes very cannibalistic. So, you rejoice over the bloodbath in your country, you rejoice over the level if insurgency and killings in your country just because you are playing opposition.

“The country is snowballing into a civil strife. We need to come together and support Mr. President to overcome the insurgency which is characterized by external militias who are paid for the purpose.”

Vanguard News Nigeria