Former Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, has stepped down from the race for the Cross River North Senate seat following what he described as a direct order from President Bola Tinubu, but not without voicing deep frustration.
In a statement on Monday, Ayade revealed he was summoned to Abuja for what he called a “high-level national consultation” with the Presidency, where he was instructed to shelve his 2027 senatorial ambition.
“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 said.
The former governor, however, used the moment to spotlight what he sees as political marginalization, despite his loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress. He recalled being the first APC governor in the South-South and credited himself with helping build the party’s foothold in the region.
Ayade also pointed to his role in delivering a historic electoral edge for Tinubu in 2023, claiming he secured nearly 40,000 more votes than the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Cross River State.
In a pointed remark, he suggested that political actors who once opposed the APC, particularly over the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket, are now benefiting from the President’s directive against him.
“Those who turned our churches against us… are the beneficiaries of this instruction,” Ayade said.
Despite his contributions, the former governor lamented that he had been left without any federal appointment for over three years. He added that he is currently funding a free transportation scheme aimed at bolstering Tinubu’s anticipated 2027 re-election campaign.
Ayade urged the President to reconsider, arguing that equity demands a fair shot for his constituency, which he said has held the Senate seat for only 8 years compared to his main rival’s two decades of dominance.
The development signals growing internal tensions within the APC ahead of the 2027 elections, with Ayade’s public protest exposing cracks beneath the party’s surface unity.
