BY: VITALIS UGOH Calabar
The Chairman of Bakassi Local Government Area, Hon Chief Iyadim Amboni Iyadim, with members of his cabinet, councilors and stakeholders of Peoples’ Democratic Party PDP Wednesday decamped from the party to join the All Peoples Congress APC.
The stakeholders include Senator Florence Ita-Giwa , Deputy Chief of Staff to the governor, Hon Ani Esin , former chapter chairmen, former council chairmen and councilors, serving chapter officers and youth groups.
They were received at the Civic Center, Abakpa, Bakassi Local Government Area, by the State Auditor as well as a member of APC Central Working Committee CWC, Otuekong Cyril Ene on behalf of the party.
Speaking at the ceremony, Iyadim, who wore a white polo with the inscriptions BAKASSI IS APC and WE HAVE MOVED, disclosed he and members of his cabinet as well as councilors have moved to APC following the recent defection of the governor Prof Ben Ayade from PDP to the ruling APC.
He therefore pledged their unalloyed loyalty and allegiance to Ayade as the leader of the party in Cross River State.
Senator Dame Florence Ita-Giwa aka Mama Bakassi and the political leader of Bakassi described the area a peculiar local government area with major problems than any other area in the state which needs federal government attention to address its resettlement and development issues.
She lauded Ayade for giving indigenes of the area appointment into his government as according to her, ” people from Bakassi were deemed not qualified until this present administration appointed them into office.
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She described the event as a spiritual thing which every son and daughter of the area should be committed to as well as make sacrifices because Ayade has identified with them in their times of need.
She stressed that she will continue with Bakassi struggle until it achieves its pride of place amongst other areas.
The Deputy Chief of Staff to the governor, Hon Ani Esin speaking on behalf state government appointees from Bakassi, said they unanimously decided to follow the governor after he left PDP to APC, stating that anyone looking for them in their previous apartments is at a wrong number because their new number is APC.
The state auditor of APC as well as a member of the party’s CWC, Otuekong Cyril Ene in his welcome address, commended Ayade for crossing over to the party and stated that as the governor of the state, he is automatically the leader of the party in the state.
Ene assured more sons and daughters of the area in other political parties will be joining APC before 2023.
Highlights of the event included filling of party’s registration forms and issuance of receipts to new members and the presentation of broom, a symbol of the party to them.
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