AYADE’S APC SENATORIAL AMBITION SUFFERS SETBACK AS WOMAN FLOWS HIM IN ELECTION
The governor of Cross Rivers State, Prof. Benedict Ayade has lost his bid to represent the people of Cross River Northern Senatorial District in the National Assembly on the platform of All Progressive Congress.
In the result declared, Barrister Cecilia Adams emerged winner polling a total number of 140 votes, with Ayade came a distant 3rd position with 52 votes after Hon Orim Martin Ojie who scored 61 votes.
Ayade’s loss will make it the first time in the history of Nigeria that an incumbent governor will lose a primary election.
Ayade had earlier picked APC’s 100 million naira presidential nomination and expression of interest form, but then secretly purchased the 20 million naira senatorial form just in case he loses out in the presidential primaries.
Apparently, another senatorial aspirant from the district entered a pact to act as a placeholder for the governor.
“You know senatorial primaries will come before presidential, so that aspirant who I don’t want to mention his name will get the Cross River North senatorial ticket. If the governor fails to get the presidential ticket of our party, then his front who got the senatorial ticket will step down and he will be replaced by the governor,” an APC member had said.
A legal practitioner, Adams was an aspirant for the position of the woman APC leader in Cross River State, during the national convention that took place a few months ago.
