The immediate-past Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has given reason for his defection from the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2021, saying the move was strategic and predicated on a clear foresight of Nigeria’s political future.
Ayade, who governed the state from 2015 to 2023, stated this on Friday shortly after he arrived Calabar, the state capital.
He disclosed this while answering questions from journalists, shortly after his reception by APC supporters at the Magaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar.
The former governor stated that his exit from the PDP was informed by his ability to predict the nation’s political trajectory.
“The real truth was that I could see tomorrow. The crystal ball was clear,” he stated.
Ayade explained that as the nation appeared to be “gradually descending into the level of caution” it became imperative to align with the ruling party.
“It was obvious that I saw tomorrow and I knew that the right thing for us to do at that point in time was actually to cross to the ruling party,” he added.
This move, he said, led to the creation of his widely discussed political principle. “And that’s why I came up with the principle of socketing to the centre,” he stated.
Ayade elaborated that achieving this ‘socketing’ required careful planning, “to do so, “it required us to understand and do a dialectical analysis of the situation with a proper surgery of what I need to do to be able to socket properly to the centre,” he maintained.
Reflecting on the ensuing political battles and consequences, the former governor acknowledged the toll the decision took.
He noted that he is currently “carrying these scars, the scars of the battle for the sovereignty of the state.”
However, Ayade expressed unwavering confidence in President Bola Tinubu, highlighting their long-standing relationship. “My relationship with him predates his days as president. So he knows who I am. He knows my word,” he said, concluding that “I believe in spite of all the stories, he will surprise this country.”
