TheCable

Uche Secondus, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has tackled Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River state, saying his “food-on-the table” policy impoverished the people.

Secondus said this on Monday while inaugurating the caretaker committee of the party in Calabar.

Ayade left the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in May.

The governor said he joined the ruling party to help President Muhammadu Buhari in building “a country we can be proud of”.

Speaking at the event, Secondus said Cross River will remain the stronghold of the PDP despite the governor’s defection.

“The PDP would work to retain the confidence the people of Cross River State repose in our party and thus retain its dominance in the state,” he said.

“The hard-working people of Cross River State, with rich intellectual base, deserve more than mere food-on-the table rhetoric; they deserve to be taught to fish that is empowerment and manpower enhancement, rather than just being given cheap fish, which is no economic solution.”

He asked the party supporters to remain resolute, adding that the party remains strong and firm in the state.

Liyel Imoke, former governor of Cross River and leader of the party in the state, said the PDP will remain a “dominant party in the state, being the only party known to our people”.

Imoke said the leadership of the party will work to ensure that it retains power in 2023.

Dignitaries at the event include Bukola Saraki, former senate president; Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom state; Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state; Mahdi Gusau, deputy governor of Zamfara state, and Donald Duke, former governor of Cross River who recently defected to the party.