‘Please allow me to contest’ – Ayade pleads as Tinubu orders ex-gov to drop Senate ambition

Former Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, has yielded to a directive from President Bola Tinubu to retreat his ambition for the Cross River North Senate spot successful the 2027 wide elections.

In a connection released connected Monday, Ayade disclosed that helium was precocious invited to Abuja for a high-level nationalist consultation with the Presidency.

According to him, the President astatine the gathering directed him to shelve the senatorial bid.

Ayade said, “Recall I was invited to instrumentality to Abuja for a high-level nationalist consultation with the Presidency.

“From the series of events that followed my return, Mr. President wants maine to withhold my Senate ambition. I output to his petition adjacent arsenic I determination tears of sick attraction and agony.”

Ayade highlighted his “crucial role” successful gathering the All Progressives Congress successful the South-South region, noting that helium was the archetypal APC politician successful the portion and delivered astir 40,000 much votes than the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Tinubu successful the 2023 statesmanlike election.

“I spot that Mr. President whitethorn not beryllium alert that the radical who turned our churches against Ayade and each of america successful APC implicit the Muslim-Muslim summons and accused america of islamisation of Cross River State are the beneficiaries of his instruction.

“Mr. President whitethorn callback that I was the archetypal APC Governor successful the full of South-South Nigeria that built the caller APC that we bask to...