PATRICK ABANG, Calabar-
Following the defections of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, with some members of his cabinet, some members of the state House of Assembly, and Council Chairman, into the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC,) the People’s Democratic party (PDP) Chapter in the state said that arrangement has been completed to embark on what the party termed “meet the people tour” in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
The State Secretary of the Caretaker Committee of the party, Hon. Eko Atu disclosed this on Wednesday in Calabar in an exclusive interview with National Accord at the party’s new Secretariate.
According to Atu, who is a former Council Chairman and Director General of Cross River State Rural Development Agency (RUDA) under the Liyel Imoke Administration, said the tour is meant to bring back some founding members who left the party because of Governor Ben Ayade style of leadership and poor performance in office in the last six years.
“The tour will afford us opportunity to explain to the people that we are happy that Governor Ben Ayade has left the party”
“It offers us an opportunity of not carrying the burden of failure in 8 Eight years”
“We feel happy because the governor has gone to APC, we would not have had anything to campaign in 2023”
On the issue of debt burden facing the State, he said the party wouldsoon address that during the campaign period.
“Fore me it is funny to say we are in debt, and you have a budget of #1.2trillion more than Lagos and Akwa- Ibom, embarking on elephant projects that you cannot complete in the next 4 years, did he not know that the State was in debt before coming into office”
“The truth is that the governor Ben Ayade administration has borrowed more than double of what Governor Liye Imoke and Donald Duke borrowed in 8 years”
On allegations that the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) made Governor Ayade an IDP in his own party, he said that would sound childish.
“And the question should be, was he consulting, key stakeholders, the party gave him everything, he was the leader of the party, What would have happened is lack of inclusiveness in party matter’s as seen during Ward and local government Congress”
DISCLAIMER
The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.