Ex Gov. Ben Ayade drops senate bid, says ‘Tinubu asked me to step down’

Former Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has announced his withdrawal from the race for the Cross River North senatorial seat, stating that the decision was made in compliance with a “request” from President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement released on Monday, Ayade expressed his disappointment, revealing that despite feeling “ill-treated,” he chose to honor the request from the president. He stated that he had been invited to Abuja for a national consultation with the presidency, where he was asked to shelve his senatorial ambition.

“Recall I was invited to return to Abuja for a high-level national consultation with the presidency. From the sequence of events that followed my return, Mr. President wants me to withhold my Senate ambition. I yield to his request even as I pour tears of ill treatment and agony,” Ayade wrote.

Ayade suggested that President Tinubu may not be fully aware of the  political dynamics in Cross River, claiming that the individuals benefiting from his withdrawal were among those who had strongly opposed the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 elections.

He reminded the president of his crucial role in building the APC in the South-South region, noting that he was the first APC governor in the zone and delivered nearly 40,000 more votes than the PDP for Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election. Publicpolicy discussions

“I trust that Mr. President may not be aware that the people who turned our churches against Ayade and all of us in APC over the Muslim-Muslim ticket and accused us of islamisation of Cross River State are the beneficiaries of his instruction,” Ayade said.

He also referenced the violence at collation centres during the presidential election, claiming that some of the beneficiaries of the president’s order were involved in such violence. “Mr. President may recall that I was the first APC Governor in the whole of South-South Nigeria that built the new APC that we enjoy today. I worked assiduously for the party and delivered almost 40,000 votes above PDP in the Presidential election, first in the history of our state,” he added.

Despite his grievances, Ayade pledged to continue supporting APC candidates and work with President Tinubu and the Cross River governor to ensure the party’s success in the state, provided the directive remains unchanged.