Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly Eteng Jonah-Williams has said that Gov. Ben Ayade was not respected and honoured by the hierarchy of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) before his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Jonah-Williams, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Calabar, said that Ayade’s defection from the PDP to the APC was timely.

The Speaker, who represents Yakurr II State Constituency in the Assembly, told NAN that out of the 25 House of Assembly members in the state, APC has 18, while the PDP has seven.

“Before the governor took the decision, he consulted widely and the majority of the people told him that he needed to move to the APC.

“While in PDP, the governor was not respected and given the honour he deserved by the hierarchy of the PDP as the leader of the party in the state.

“So, there was a need for him to move. The Governor has also stated clearly that he needed to align the state with the happenings in the centre for the interest of the state.

“Cross River is known for always playing politics with the centre. Since 1999, former Governors Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke all played politics from the centre.

“Ayade is the only governor from the state who has played opposition for six years now and he feels it is time to align with the centre for the benefit of the state,” he said.

He recalled that during the last ward and chapter congresses of PDP in the state, the PDP national had to recognise a list of executive members who did not even contest for the positions at the ward and chapter level.

He said that such marginalisation of key stakeholders in the state by the PDP also informed their decision to defect with the governor to the APC.

“As Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly, the ward list from my political ward that I have been winning elections with was neglected and a new list was constituted with members that I do not even know and nobody consulted me,” he said.

According to the Speaker, the remaining two years period of Ayade will attract the needed development from the centre into the state.

He gave assurance that APC will win all the elective positions in the state in the 2023 general elections in view of the governor’s defection to the ruling party.

“The Superhighway and the Deep Seaport will now be given utmost attention by the Federal Government and other things will also fall in place as well.

“Gov. Ayade has spent six years in office, I will advise him to consolidate on the gains of his industrial revolution in the state by completing the projects and privatising them for the future.

“The House of Assembly wants the industries that were initiated by Gov. Ayade to live beyond this administration.

“On-road infrastructure, I want to specially commend the governor on the construction of the Mfom-Obanliku dual carriageway and the ongoing East-West road in Boki local government area,” he said. (NAN)


https://thenationonlineng.net/defection-gov-ayade-was-not-appreciated-in-pdp-says-speaker/

Smh, tears awaits Ayade

OK ayade can be worshiped in APC if they so like. association is by choice

Ayoade was not allowed to annex the party structure as his pocket phone that was why He left.

Oh, so you mean he should have been placed on monthly allowances abi?

Anyone joining APC does not mean well for Nigeria.
That party has crumble Nigeria in several ways

Ok..maybe uche secondus and cross river state pdp party chairman..for give am their wives.

What a useless set of politicians we have this days in CRS.
House of Assembly that doesn't know it's worth,is that one house of Assembly? imagine the mess ayade made out of governance, yet all this fools followed him to APC. I am ashamed at this point to call myself a Cross Riverian. Simply put,the speaker is the most useless thing one can ever imagine. Imagine the thrash coming out of his empty hole called mouth with brainless head.In shot, The speaker is mad.

Is it your fault? Is PDP fault that gave you there platform twice to context election.