2027: Ayade drops Senate bid, says 'Tinubu asks me to step down'
The immediate past Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu directed him to withdraw from contesting the Cross River North Senatorial seat in 2017.
The immediate past Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu directed him to withdraw from contesting the Cross River North Senatorial seat in 2017.
In a lengthy statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Sunday, Ayade said he was invited to Abuja for what he described as a “high-level national consultation” with the Presidency, after which he was instructed to step down from his senatorial ambition.
According to him, he complied with the directive out of respect for the President.
“I yield to his request even as I pour tears of ill-treatment and agony,” he wrote, suggesting that the decision may have been influenced by political actors he accused of previously opposing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State.
Ayade maintained that he played a key role in strengthening the APC in the South-South region, describing himself as the first APC governor in the zone and highlighting his contributions to the party’s performance in the 2023 general elections.
He also expressed displeasure over what he called years of political marginalisation despite his loyalty to the party and the President.
The former governor further advised his supporters against purchasing nomination forms for the Senate race pending further clarification, insisting that such action would amount to disobeying presidential authority.
He appealed for a review of the situation, arguing that he deserves political consideration based on his contributions.
However, the Senator representing Cross River North, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, rejected Ayade’s claims, describing them as misleading and a distortion of facts.
In his response, Jarigbe questioned Ayade’s political relevance in the district, insisting that the former governor lacked electoral strength.
He further alleged that Ayade “emptied the Cross River State treasury” during his tenure and was seeking another opportunity at the Senate for similar reasons.
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Jarigbe maintained that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure in the senatorial district had consistently defeated Ayade politically, adding that the bloc secured key electoral victories even while he was governor.
“We are not political weaklings. We come with votes,” he said.
He also challenged Ayade’s claim of supporting President Tinubu during the 2023 elections, alleging that the former governor neither stepped down during the APC presidential primaries nor delivered Cross River State in the general election.
The senator further dismissed allegations of religious bias levelled against him, accusing Ayade of engaging in divisive politics. He described the former governor as a “political disaster,” insisting that voters in Cross River North had already rejected him.
As of press time, the Presidency has not issued any official response confirming or denying Ayade’s claim regarding the alleged directive to withdraw from the senatorial race.
