‘Ayade funding defection from Cross River state purse’ -says former Deputy Governor

Efiok Cobham, A former Deputy Governor of Cross River has accused Governor Ben Ayade of deploying state funds in coercing his appointees to join him in the All Progressive Congress (APC)

Cobham who is the Chairman of the Cross River State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party caretaker committee alleged that Ayade was tampering with the 19 billion naira the state got from the Federal Government as refunds for repairing federal roads to fund his defection to the APC.

Efiok made the accusations, yesterday, at a press briefing with the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ) in Calabar, the Cross River state capital, held at the instance of the Cross River PDP Caretaker Committee.

“Ayade’s defection to APC is to cost Cross River 2 billion naira. This is what Ayade needs to buy defectors from even his cabinet to follow him to APC.

“He can afford to spend 2 billion to fund his defection to APC, because he has ready cash from the N19b recently paid to the state as refund for federal road maintenance undertaken by former governors Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke,” Efiok said.

He further asked Ayade to make public the receipt of the 19 billion and ensure that the money is used in a way and manner that is beneficial to Cross Riverians.

On the invasion of the party secretariat, the PDP accused the APC of carting away vital documents and register of party members, a development it described, as “illegal, immature politics, unnecessary provocation.”

Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade last week Thursday, dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He formally declared for the ruling party at the Cross River State Executive Council Chamber, Governor’s Office in Calabar after a two-hour meeting with seven APC governors led by the party’s interim chairman and governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.