Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the South-south geopolitical zone, Mr. Hilliard Eta, yesterday claimed that the Cross River state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade has been informing APC national leaders of his intention to quit the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the ruling national party.
Eta, however, lamented that the opposite obtains when the Governor returned home and began to prosecute members of the APC in Cross River state. He disclosed this to newsmen, while accusing Ayade of not allowing the party to use the UJ Esuene stadium in Calabar for a mega rally where defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party will be received.
“Ayade has been informing the leadership of the APC that he intends to decamp from the PDP and join us, yet he returns to Cross River State to persecute members of the party he intends to join,” the APC Vice Chairman stated.
Decampees to be received into the party include former Governor of Cross River State, Chief Clement Ebri, Senators Victor Ndoma-Egba and Bassey Otu, Ambassador Soni Abang, Prince Goddy Jedy-Agba, Hon Venatius Ikem, Rt. Hon Paul Adah, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, Dr. Alex Egbona, Dr. Sandy Onor, Sony Etta, Hon Ernest Irek, Chief & Mrs Johnson Ebokpo, Dr Mathew Achigbe, and many others.
According to Eta, “The state organ of the party briefed me this morning about the venue and we were able to secure the playground between Main Avenue and Atu Street when the UJ stadium was denied us.
“We are not bordered about that. That is not the first time the UJ. Esuene stadium has been denied us. After all when the present president who was “our candidate at a time came to Calabar to campaign, he was also denied the use of the UJ Esuene stadium. That did not stop us from going ahead to win the election. So that is the venue that we have secured.”
