A former acting Adamawa State Governor and political ally of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Ambassador James Barka, has denied dumping the All Progressives Congress for the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said it was true that the Adamawa State chapter of the PDP paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Yola, during which they implored him to return to the party, adding that he did not promise to join the party.

Barka, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said he had no plans to go back to the PDP which he left in 2014 while he was the Nigerian Ambassador to Malaysia.

“Of a truth, some members of PDP led by the chairman paid me a courtesy call to seek my return to my former party, I told them I’m a bonafide member of APC, I am not contemplating leaving the APC. However, I would consult, and there is no any reason to join my former party.

“I said I would get back to them when I’m through with my consultation. To me, it was just a simply political statement. Now that the press has reported, I would make a statement categorically that I’m a member of APC and all my followers should remain as such,” Barka said.

Meanwhile, a social responsibility consultant, Ben Egberi has declared interest in contesting for the Presidency in 2019, noting that country needed a competent leader to turn the economy around.

The 44-year-old, who is contesting under the PDP stated that he has the innovative ideas and strategies to develop the nation and move her forward.

“What Nigeria needs at this point is the person with the energy, intellectual ability and capacity to stimulate development in the country and I believe I embody this. We need something as different from President Buhari as day is from night,” Egberi argued.