Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State also left the PDP Six months back.
Ayade made this known on Thursday morning after a closed-door meeting with six APC governors and some members of the National Assembly who visited him at the Government House.
The governors who visited Ayade include Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State; Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State who is also the APC caretaker Chairman; Simon Lalong of Plateau State; Mohammed Abubakar of Jigawa State, and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.
He was elected as the governor of Cross Rivers State under the platform of the PDP in 2015.
Ayade was reelected in 2019 under the platform of the same political party.
With his defection, Mr Ayade becomes the only APC governor from the South-South geopolitical zone.
The ruling party had lost its only governor in the zone last year when Godwin Obaseki of Edo crossed to the PDP months to the governorship election in that state. He won reelection on that platform.
With Mr Ayade in the kitty, the APC now has 21 governors, the PDP 14 and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) one.
