By Asuquo Cletus
A Former Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu directed him to withdraw from the forthcoming senatorial race, a decision he said he has reluctantly accepted despite expressing deep frustration over the development.
The development is coming shortly after Linus Obogo the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Cross River State, had in a statement notified the former governor of a high-leveled meeting with the president last week Thursday.
Ayade, in a statement issued on Monday following what he described as a “high-level national consultation” with the Presidency in Abuja, said the directive came directly from the President, urging him to shelve his ambition to contest for a Senate seat.
“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 stated.
The former governor, however, suggested that the President may not have been fully briefed on the political dynamics in Cross River State, alleging that those benefiting from the directive were previously opposed to both him and the All Progressives Congress.
He claimed that some of the individuals allegedly favoured by the decision had, in the past, mobilised religious sentiments against the APC during the 2023 general elections, particularly over the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket, and had also been implicated in acts of violence during the polls.
According to him, “Mr President may not be aware that the beneficiaries of his order are people who turned our churches against us and accused us of Islamisation of Cross River State.”
Ayade further alleged that the same political actors were armed at collation centres during the presidential election, adding that security agencies had records of such incidents.
Highlighting his contributions to the APC, the former governor maintained that he played a pivotal role in strengthening the party’s foothold in the South-South region, noting that he was the first APC governor in the zone and delivered a historic electoral victory for the party in Cross River State.
“I worked assiduously for the party and delivered almost 40,000 votes above PDP in the presidential election, the first in the history of our state,” he said.
Ayade also lamented what he described as years of political neglect, claiming he had not been given any federal appointment since leaving office, despite his loyalty and financial contributions to the party, including donations during the APC national convention and campaign support initiatives.
The former governor recalled his early support for Tinubu’s presidential ambition, stating that he was among the first APC governors to advocate for Tinubu’s candidacy ahead of the 2023 elections.
He argued that the decision to stop him from contesting was unjust, particularly when compared to his opponent, whom he accused of having already spent about two decades in the National Assembly and seeking a fourth term.
Ayade also referenced past instances where he withdrew from political contests at the behest of party leaders, including the 2007 Senate race and the 2015 governorship contest, noting that such decisions eventually paved the way for his emergence as governor.
Despite his grievances, Ayade called on his supporters to remain calm and respect the President’s directive while awaiting a possible review of the decision.
“Let us tarry and honour Mr President even as we still appeal for the review of his order,” he said.
He further instructed his supporters not to purchase nomination forms for the senatorial race for now, stressing that doing so would amount to defying the President’s authority.
Citing biblical references, Ayade emphasised the need for obedience to constituted authority, while also appealing to the President’s conscience to reconsider the directive in light of his contributions to the party.
He assured that he and his supporters would continue to work for the success of the APC in Cross River State and support all party candidates if the President’s position remains unchanged.
“We would join hands with our President and Governor to deliver APC at all levels in the state if that remains the permanent position of Mr President,” he added.
