A Former Obubra Local Government Chairman Hon. Nicholas Ayuwa has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), bringing hundreds of supporters from the opposition PDP, ADC, and NDC with him.
Ayuwa, who served as Liaison Officer in Lagos during Governor Donald Duke’s administration, said he joined the APC because of Governor Senator Bassey Edet Otu’s “impressive performance in strategic infrastructure recovery and consolidation.”
At the ceremony, held over the weekend in Obubra, and attended by APC State Chairman Rt. Hon. Chris Etta, members of the State Working Committee, and several party leaders, Ayuwa said hadhe remained in the PDP after Governor Ben Ayade’s defection to the APC. He recalled that, in the spirit of “Back To South” rotational leadership, he backed Senator Gershom Bassey of the PDP for governor in 2023, although some members of the PDP jettisoned the gentlemanly agreement and took the ticket for themselves.
He said he was full of thanks to God that his then party lost the election that produced APC’s Prince Bassey Otu as governor, therefore defeating the gang up against rotation of power.
“The Government of Prince Otu is recovering so much lost grounds for Cross River State. Prince Otu has recovered Tinapa from AMCON. He has reconstructed the State Library. Prince Otu has recovered the famous Obudu Cattle Ranch that had been ran down. The Obudu Cattle Ranch is a piece of tourist attraction. The governor has handed it to professionals who will manage it effectively. ”
The businessman and former remembered that he was council chairman when Cross River State lost its oil wells and the loss of revenue that has followed over the years.
“The government of Prince Otu is working assiduously to restore us back to an oil-producing state. This is a fantastic move! With all these, I am very convinced that the state government is in the right direction. I have therefore decided to mobilize all my supporters to join my brothers and sisters of the All Progressives Congress APC to ensure the re-election of this very good governor and all the candidates of the APC from the Presidency to the Local Government level. ”
Pledging to work for the success of Governor Otu and all APC candidates in the forthcoming elections, he urged “all those who joined me to decamp on Friday to go to their various wards and take the gospel of Prince Otu to every nook and corner of their communities.”
Other attendees at the defection ceremony included Obubra Council Chairman Hon. Kingsley Arikpo, House of Reps candidate Mrs. Blessing Egbara, House of Assembly candidates Ritchie Romanus and Ernest Jones Obase, APC leader in the area Chief Alex Irek, Chief Ernest Irek, Bishop Chris Obase, Elder John Agbor, Hon. Agbor Mgbongha, and Chief Julius Mbina.
