“Politicians have an acutely honed instinct for self-preservation.” 

–Steve Schmidt

 

By Omoniyi Salaudeen

 

Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, seems to be the single biggest catch recorded by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in its recent aggressive drive for more membership reparatory to the 2023 general elections. 

He caught the wind of defection which had started about six months ago when his counterpart in Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, announced his decision to dump the opposition PDP for the APC. All for the same reason, the same pretext.

While Umahi jumped the ship with intent to safeguard the “interest of the Southeast” in the next presidential race, Ayade claimed he wanted to join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari to achieve his vision for a virile and prosperous nation everyone would be proud of. As a scholar of great oratorical prowess and eloquence, he told the six visiting APC governors who were on hand to receive him into their fold that he would assist the president to succeed in his efforts to tackle insecurity, youth unemployment, as well as a smooth transition to the next government. 

While making the declaration amidst frenzied atmosphere of a new convivial relationship, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, Solomon Lalong of Plateau State, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, stood by and watched with a nod of approval and acquaintance.   

He had this to say: “It is obvious that at this point in time, we need to join hands with him (Buhari) to build a Nigeria that we would be proud of. We also have to recognize that it is not party, it is character, it is integrity, it is honour, it is the commitment to the vision of this great nation that we want to as a team work ahead of the president towards building a prosperous country that the succession process to 2023 will come without the fears and worries that the international community holds. If every one of us joins hands with Mr. President, I think we can sit on the same dining table and agree on a way to govern this country.

“With a population of over 207 million people, with the kind of tension we have, we can’t afford to sustain it. And as a professor, having seen the sincerity and commitment of Mr. President, having seen the progress attained so far, having seen the associated tension occasioned by the increasing social media manipulations, having recognized the issues of youths and unemployment, and the associated challenges, it is my responsibility as a leader of the party in Cross River State to assist Mr. President to do what I can do to assist the president to succeed.”

If this development follows the regular pattern of defection known to Nigeria’s political history, Cross River is already a lost state to the PDP. It is a trend for a defecting governor to move his party structure wholesale to another one. But there is a snag here. Since the last state congress of the PDP, Ayade has practically lost control of the party’s structure, including National Assembly members. While the prolonged litigation battle that followed lasted, it had become obvious to many observers that he was merely buying time to perfect his defection arrangement.  To forestall the imminent loss though, PDP had tried to reunite the aggrieved members through a reconciliation committee headed by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, but all to no avail.  

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With a divided interest and the ensuing crisis of confidence, it is very unlikely that Governor Ayade would be able to count on the support of his entire cabinet members, as well as other critical stakeholders from the state.

From the available report, there is already a crack within the government circle, especially with the precipitate sack of six commissioners and other political appointees shortly after the defection ceremony. 

According to a statement signed by the Spokesperson to the governor, Christian Ita, those relieved of their appointments included Mike Usibe, Rita Ayim, Mr Asu Okang, Ntufam Donatus Etim. Other are Mr Leo Inyambe, Rt Hon. Orok Otu Duke Mr. Victor Okon (Alausa) ,Mr. John Etim Bassey, Hon. Agbiji Mbeh Agbiji.” 

Ayade allegedly sacked the officials a few days after he met with all his aides and stakeholders to extract their commitment.

In a quick rebuttal, however, he dismissed the insinuation of an alleged political undertone for the dismissal, insisting that he remained in firm control of the political structure of the state.

 Speaking in an interview on Channels Television, he said: “We had congresses and only eight local governments were interfered with. And in the remaining 10 local governments, we have full commitment and loyalty. We are absolutely in control.”  

As at the last count, 18 out of 25 members of the state House of Assembly have declared their support for the governor and joined him in the APC, while seven recalcitrant lawmakers are still with the PDP. The omens are not too good for a governor that has barely two years left to the end of his second tenure. By the time the real alignment of forces comes into full swing ahead of the 2023, it certainly will be a herculean task for him to take the state to the Promised Land using the APC vehicle as he enthused in his declaration address. 

For now, he has been pronounced the leader of the party by the Abuja hierarchy. How much the state stands to benefit from this latest political adventure is a question time will answer.

In his rhetorical statement on the occasion of his defection, he made it unequivocally clear that he dumped the PDP in the interest of the state and national stability. But beneath the façade is a calculated desire for a secured political future. Under the umbrella of the PDP, Ayade  got elected into the Senate in 2011 and successively won the governorship race in 2015 and 2019 for first and second tenures respectively, only to suddenly wake up to realize that he could help the state and the nation better being in the ruling APC.

Given the benefit of doubt, there is a sense in a call for collective action to end insecurity. It is equally arguable that being in the mainstream politics brings some advantages of federal presence to the state. But how auspicious is the timing of the gale of defection? What can he do as an APC governor to help the president fight the challenge of insecurity that he cannot do in the PDP? These are questions Ayade needs to answer to dissuade the minds of those who have rightly or wrongly established a nexus between his covet ambition to be relevant in the 2023 power equation and his latest political move. All of these have been subsumed in his toga of a new found patriot.     

Benedict Bengioushuye Ayade, a professor of microbiology, ventured into politics when he ran for a seat in the Senate in the 2011 elections as a member of the PDP. While in the Senate, he held the position of vice-chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology. He was also a member of other committees such as Petroleum Downstream, Education, Drugs/Narcotics/Crime, among others. In April 2015, he again won the gubernatorial contest on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and subsequently recorded victory in the 2019. His recent defection to the APC is an anti-climax of the prolonged power struggle between him and the state establishment.