Baring a last minute change, some PDP National Assembly members from Cross River State may decamp to the All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside Governor Ben Ayade, THE WHISPERER has learnt.
A source close to the governor told THE WHISPERER that about five PDP NASS members may join the APC adding to Hon. Alex Egbonna of Abi/Yakurr federal constituency to take the number of APC NASS members in Cross River State to six.
Reacting to the development, a chieftain of the PDP from Obubra LGA, told THE WHISPERER that it was just three serving members that were ready to decamp with the governor.
“To best of my knowledge, it is just a serving Senator and two house of representatives members that are ready to join the governor.
“There is still high level negotiation to convince others to join the governor. But what I can tell you now is that a second term house of reps member from the Central Senatorial District is defecting with the governor alongside another one from the North.
“If everything goes as plan, by the time the final decision will be announced, PDP factional team authentic may still have about eight NASS members depending on the outcome of the high level discussion that have been going on since yesterday.” He said.
Meanwhile, some governors in the All Progressives Congress are in Cross River State to persuade Governor Ben Ayade to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to their party.
Some of the governors arrived in Calabar on Wednesday evening ahead of their meeting on Thursday with Governor Ayade.
The APC governors expected at the meeting are Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodima, David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State among others, according to Government House sources.
It is not certain if Ayade would succumb to the pressure to defect as he has been threatening to do following complaints about the way he is being treated in the PDP.
