The Executive members of the Labour Party in Cross River on Monday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Chairman of the labour party, Mr Maurice Ekeng, said in Calabar that their decision to defect was based on the “wave of political development currently goingon in the state.”
He said that the defection was for some very spectacular reasons, including that the party could no longer sustain the doubts and resentments against the Governor of the state, Ben Ayade.
According to him, “Ayade’s government has changed both the political and development history of the state in the past few years as well as helped many young people to fulfill their political destinies.”
He said the governor had transformed the agro-industrial sector, prioritised security and job opportunities and restored public confidence in governance process.
“The Labour Party is particularly incapable of sustaining the doubts that an Ayade governorship will bring any meaningful impact in the state.
“From the experience so far, the administration requires the cooperation of all to achieve more impactful governance in the state.
“We urge all Cross River people, the Federal Government and even the International Community to support this administration because of the peculiarities of the state.
“We lost 76 oil wells, lost Bakassi and the corresponding goodwill.
“The governor also came up with some people-oriented programmes and projects to ensure that the losses do not demean our economic fortunes and affect our existence,” he said.
The state Chairman of APC, Mathew Mbu Jnr. who was represented by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Bassey Ita, received the decampees at the party’s Marian Road Secretariat, Calabar.
Mbu said as a progressive party, the APC believed in value addition and growth.
He added that men and women of goodwill who were ready to build on the existing values of the APC would have a place to express and fulfill their political destinies for the progress of the party.
The chairman said the party would not renege on its efforts at championing internal democracy to produce leaders that could be of value to society.
