Former Senior Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State on Obudu Ranch Resort, Hon. Bobby Effiom Ekpenyong has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The former APC chieftain who contested the APC House of Representatives primaries for Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Constituency cited Governor Ayade’s handover of the APC structure in Odukpani to the Asuquo Ekpenyong Dynasty and it being used to emasculate him and the people of his Ward as reasons for his decampment.
Announcing his resignation in a statement, Hon. Ekpenyong wrote: “Yesterday, being 4th of july 2022, I took yet another steps in advancing my political Career. I officially moved back to the PDP.
“This was a tough decision but a very easy one to take.
“The event leading to emergence of candidates to represent APC in the forthcoming general elections is one of the reasons why I decided to return to the PDP.
“I feel strongly that I and my people in Ekori Anaku Ward and Okoyong nation at large have no place in APC.
“His Excellency the governor handed over every available power in Odukpani to Asuquo Ekpenyong Dynasty and they used it to emasculate me and my people. I don’t intend to stay in APC and do anti party. It is not in my character to play that kind of politics.”
He said that he decided to leave the APC “so that the structures and the people they believed in will do the work for them”.
He continued: “I want my people to understand this very clearly. I have not compelled anyone to follow me. I allow all my supporters and followers to take their decision from their heart.
“This path I have chosen is the best for me and my real followers.
“We will continue to pursue what is best for our people.
“Remember, no one was born into Political party. Political parties are like vehicle. The purpose of a vehicle is to take you to your destination at a particular time, after that you can enter another vehicle to where you want to go.
“That’s why the people enjoying and shouting APC today were never APC members before. Today they came in and push the original APC members who suffered to build APC to what they can come in and enjoy. Today they are the ones with tickets to run offices while the original APC members are to work and put them back in offices for them to continue to enjoy”, Hon. Ekpenyong said.
