As majority of Nigerians rose to condemn Ben Ayade cross-carpeting from the People Democratic Party – PDP to the All Progressive Congress – APC for reasons he described as joining President Buhari in his “nationalism” drive,
Reno Omokri a former Aide to President Goodluck Jonathan wrote to remind the Cross River State Governor of how the same Buhari dealt severely with his kinsmen just recently:
‘The three highest ranking officials from Cross River in the Buhari administration were Chief Justice Onnoghen, Head of the Civil Service, Winnifred Oyo-Ita, and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas. All of them were either unceremoniously booted out, or unjustly forced out by General Buhari. Onnoghen was forced out because he was falsely accused of meeting Atiku in Dubai, while Oyo-Ita was forced out after a clash with the late Abba Kyari, because she was suspected of leaking the memo regarding Maina’s promotion. Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas was sacked along with Buratai, although he had no known human rights or disciplinary issue. The only known Special Assistant to Buhari from Cross River, Mr. Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, was sacked and declared wanted by the ICPC. Yet, their Governor, Ben Ayade, who should have protected them, now claims he joined APC because of Buhari’s ‘nationalism’? A nationalism that has reduced Cross River to next to nothing in the Federal Government”.
