Former Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, has withdrawn from the Cross River North senatorial race following what he described as a request from President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement released on Monday, Ayade said he returned to Abuja for a high-level consultation with the presidency, during which he was asked to step down his senatorial ambition.
He said he complied with the request despite expressing disappointment over the outcome.
“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,” he stated.
Ayade also suggested that the President may not have been fully briefed on the political situation in Cross River State, alleging that some beneficiaries of the directive had previously opposed the APC over its 2023 Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
He recalled his role in strengthening the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-South region, noting that he was the first APC governor in the zone and contributed significantly to Tinubu’s 2023 presidential votes in the state.
“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 said.
The former governor further stated that he has not received any federal appointment in over three years despite his contributions to the party.
Ayade, however, pledged continued loyalty to the APC and support for its candidates, saying he would work with President Tinubu and the state leadership to strengthen the party’s performance in Cross River if the directive remains in place.
