BY:.VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
Barely one month following the defection of the Cross River State governor, Sir Ben Ayade to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a gale of defections has continued to pound across the 18 local governments areas of the state.
Joining the large swath of decampees to the APC is a member representing Obudu/Bekwarra/Obanliku Federal Constituency, Mr. Legor Idagbo who defected with over 30,000 of his supporters drawn from the three council areas.
Speaking at the venue of the defection rally in Abuochiche, headquarters of Bekwarra Local Government Area on Saturday, Idagbo said: “Today marks the beginning of a new era in Cross River State politics,” adding that “old things have passed away and behold new things are on the way.”,
According to him, “the old era has passed away, the only thing that is constant is change. It is only a wicked father that will not wish his son well.
“If you are a good father, at some point your son will take over from you and when he takes over from you, you will not direct him on what to do.”
Legor who was received by the chairman of the state chapter of the APC, Senator Mathew Mbu Jr., urged his supporters not to let anyone deceive them “to wish away the food on the table which our governor, Senator Ben Ayade jas been providing for the past six years, because those who may ask you not to go with him have been benefiting from food on the table from Abuja APC..
“Do not let anyone push you into fighting our governor and anyone who persuades you to, tell them to lead by example.”While enlisting further support for the governor, Legor admitted that “Aayde has done well, he is our illustrious son of the North, let us stand by him and support him.”
Elsewhere at the Ikom Local Government headquarters, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Chris Agara also moved with his over 25,000 supporters to the APC.
He said his defection to the APC “is like wearing a new dress. And when you have a new dress well sewn with a design you like, you feel good. And moving from PDP to APC is indeed very special and historic and we have to show that firm support to my friend and brother.”
Agara who was received by the chieftain of the party and former Senate Majority Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba noted that his joining the APC is all about bringing value addition to the party as “they should expect me to be part of the unity of the party, they should expect me to be part of the progress of the party. I am going to be part of moving the party forward and making sure the APC wins all elections.”
The new APC convert disclosed that “when I defected at the ward level, I told them that we have come to add strength and make them the winning team. I am sure that from now on, we will be a more formidable team because from the crowd you see here, APC is now the only party in Ikom Local Government Area.”
Similarly, at Efraiya, headquarters of Etung Local Government Area, Chris Njah Mbu-Ogar Ogar, member representing Etung in the House of Assembly was received with his teeming supporters into the APC by Senator John Owan Enoh.
He thanked Owan-Enoh and the Etung APC for opening their doors to him and his supporters, promising to ensure that his membership and that of his followers will ensure that the party waxes stronger than before.