Ayade made a mistake, moved to a collapsing party —Ex-Gov Imoke

 

A former governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, has insisted that despite the defection of Governor Ben Ayade from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) the PDP in the state remains intact and united.

Imoke who made the assertion on Monday at a stakeholders meeting of the PDP held in Calabar, the state capital, said Ayade made a mistake by moving to a party which was “already collapsing.”

“APC is a party that is collapsing. It is not a place to go for Cross River State. We will revive the glory of Cross River. I took risks to see the emergence of this government. They even accused me of collecting money. It is an insult.

“I have been a governor and I served my people diligently. Now, we have seen a different approach to governance. It is not democratic. Our politics is sweet. We don’t play politics of harassment and intimidation.”

Imoke insisted that the movement of one man does not mean the state PDP was in disarray as one man cannot change its fortune.

He added that his ambition was to see that the party would be handed over to the youths in 2023.

“We want youths that can deliver. Time has come for a generational shift. The next governor of Cross River State will be a man of character. The next national and state assembly members will be men of character,” he said.