Following increasing defections of politicians to the national ruling party, APC, in the last few months, former PDP running mate in the 2023 governorship election in Cross River State, Mrs. Emana Ambrose-Amawhe, has said that nobody forces anyone to join any political party, especially the All Progressives Congress.
Speaking with journalists yesterday, Ambrose-Amawhe said, “Political parties are open platforms where people choose to align with certain ideologies. There is nobody holding a gun to anybody’s head to join the APC.
“People are voluntarily and willingly joining the APC. I had said that the development strides of Governor Bassey Otu are worthy of emulation, not just by other governors across the 36 states of Nigeria, but they should be a rallying point for Cross Riverians generally to join hands and make the job easier for the governor to deliver the democratic dividends to the people at the grassroots.”
Speaking on what her defection means for her and her supporters, Ambrose-Amawhe said it portends the beginning of new things politically, not just for herself and her followers across the 18 LGAs.
“It means the entry into a new season in the entire landscape of Cross River State.
“We have collapsed our entire structure to partner with Governor Bassey Otu to deliver on his People First mandate and partner with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu to drive economic development for our people, every Cross Riverian.”
She, however, noted that two years into government, it would have been enough for Nigerians to see indicators of economic progress and satisfaction if the country was moving in the right direction.
Explaining why she defected from PDP to APC, Ambrose-Amawhe said it signifies the beginning of good things.
“I decided to defect because I cannot be an armchair politician. Every politician needs a viable platform. I came to serve my people.
“I am an active citizen. I do not want to sit on the sidelines and achieve nothing for the people I serve. I want to make positive contributions by entering the boxing ring, putting on the boxing gloves, and partnering in whatever capacity I can to bring the needed and desired change to our people.”
