The mass exodus of members of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) in Cross River state continued at the weekend when the assistant
secretary of the party, Mr. Sunday Omang, led over one thousand of his
supporters to defect to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during Governor Ben
Ayade’s campaign rally in Bekwarra Local Government Area of the state.
Until his defection, Omang was also a member of President Muhammadu Buhari
Campaign organization in the State.
Addressing thousands of cheering PDP supporters at the rally, the erstwhile APC
scribe, flanked by his co-defectors said no sensible Cross Riverian will remain
in the APC after seeing Governor Ayade’s massive industrialization drive and
infrastructural development of the state just within three and half years in
office.
Omang said:” my decision to join the PDP was never influenced in anyway by
anybody. Rather, I took the decision alongside my supporters to join PDP
because of the good works Governor Ayade is doing to transform Cross
River.”
According to him, “we are very impressed with development under Ayade, hence
our decision to join the PDP train in support of our northern brother to
move the state forward. And l want to assure you that we would work for your
victory and we appeal, we should be fully integrated and accepted in the
party.”
Also at the rally, the northern zone of the National Union of Road Transport
Workers (NURTW) declared their unalloyed support for the governor in his
re-election bid.
They predicated their support for Ayade in office on his achievements including
the ongoing dualization of the 147km mfom-okuku-Obudu dual carriage highway
which cuts across the five local government areas of the north.
The Governor was also adopted by fifty thousand member strong okada riders
association in Bekwarra who pledged their total support.
In his response, Governor Ayade said his government has already acquired
machines to set up a groundnut shelling factories in four locations of the
local government.
He also announced plans by his administration to set up a vegetable oil factory
in Bekwarra. Ayade also told the cheering crowd that Bekwarra will be the
biggest beneficiary of the ongoing 270 kilometers super highway when it is
completed linking Cross River state with the northern part of the county.
Earlier, the Governor was overwhelmingly endorsed by the Paramount ruler, clan
heads and all the chiefs of Bekwarra.
The Paramount ruler, HRM, Linus Ogbeche Odey, informed the governor that
Bekwarra has over seventy thousand voting strength, assuring the governor that
100 percent of the votes will be cast for him.
He thanked the Governor for the several appointment given to Bekwarra sons and
daughters.