Ben Ayade, former Cross River governor, says he has withdrawn from the race for the Cross River north senatorial seat in compliance with a “request” from President Bola Tinubu.
In a lengthy statement on Monday, Ayade said he yielded to
the Tinubu’s request despite his sense of “ill-treatment” and deep
disappointment over the decision.
The former governor said he was invited to Abuja for a
high-level national consultation with the presidency, only to be 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.
He said Tinubu may not be fully aware of the political
undercurrents in Cross River, alleging that the beneficiaries of his order were
among those who fiercely opposed the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023.
Ayade reminded the president of his pioneering role in
building the party in the south-south region, adding that he was the first APC
governor in the zone and delivered nearly 40,000 votes above the PDP for Tinubu
in the 2023 presidential poll.
“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,” he added.
“Mr President may not be aware that the beneficiaries of his
order are people armed against us with guns and machetes in the collation
centres(police records available) on the day of Mr President’s election.
“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.”
Ayade said despite his contributions, he has remained
sidelined for over three years without any federal appointment.
He pledged to support all APC candidates and work with
Tinubu and the governor to deliver the party across Cross River if the order
remains unchanged.
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