Cross River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade, Thursday emerged candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC for Cross River North Senatorial District.
He was elected at a primary by-election conducted at Ogoja local government headquarters.
Ayade emerged unopposed as he was the sole contestant in the exercise.
The by-election was necessitated by the voluntary withdrawal of Hon. Martin Orim who had won the ticket in the initial exercise held on May 28, 2022.
The Chairperson of the APC Primary Election Committee for Cross River North, Barrister Sameera Tabo, declared the governor winner with 252 votes.
The total number of votes cast was 255 while three votes were invalidated.
According to Sameera, following Orim’s withdrawal, the senatorial by- primary election was to ensure that the party fielded a candidate for Northern Cross River under the provisions of the Electoral Act.
In his acceptance speech, Ayade expressed gratitude to the delegates for electing him.
He explained that “after running for the office of the president of Nigeria, I returned home and then came under tremendous pressure from my people.
“They said I did very well when I was a Senator from 2011 to 2015 and insisted I go back and today I have answered their call. Of course, they recognised that this country requires a legislator that has both executive and legislative experience.”
The governor said he was well equipped for the senate and would bring his wealth of experience to bear in the upper legislative chamber if elected.
According to him, “I am very experienced, I know the challenges of our people, I possess all the essential elements that will help us make the appropriate laws and legislation that will change the narrative of our people.
“More importantly, it is imperative to work with the incoming APC president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to reconstruct the concept of development within the African context. Development is about the people and in a sluggish developing economy, emphasis cannot be put on infrastructure alone.
“We will target people, medium scale industries, small scale businesses will be put under sufficient grants and support until they begin to migrate away from poverty.
“So I am happy that I am going back to the legislature where I can add additional value to the next government and this country.”
