Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade, has announced his withdrawal from the race for the Cross River North Senatorial District, claiming that President Bola Tinubu personally directed him to abandon his ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a lengthy and emotional statement released on Monday, May 4, 2026, Ayade detailed how he was summoned to Abuja for what he described as a “high-level national consultation” with the Presidency, only to be told to shelve his senatorial dreams. “I yield to his request even as I pour tears of ill treatment and agony,” Ayade wrote, portraying himself as a loyal party man sacrificing his personal ambition for the sake of unity under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The news has sent shockwaves through the political landscape of Cross River State, where the battle for the northern senatorial ticket had been shaping up into a fierce contest between Ayade and the incumbent, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe.
Ayade’s statement is peppered with a deep sense of betrayal and a plea to be remembered for his foundational role in building the APC in the South-South. He reminded the President that he was the first APC governor in the South-South region and claimed he delivered nearly 40,000 votes above the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for President Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election. He also took credit for originating the campaign mantra, “If Tinubu can fix Lagos, Tinubu can fix Nigeria,” and for being the first APC governor to propose Tinubu as the 2023 presidential candidate with the “right of first refusal.” The former governor, who decamped from the PDP to the APC in 2021, lamented that despite these sacrifices and his generous financial contributions to the party—including donating vehicles and motorbikes at national conventions—he has been sidelined without a federal appointment for over three years.
The most explosive parts of Ayade’s accusation, however, targeted the beneficiaries of the President’s directive. He alleged that the President may not be fully aware that the individuals set to benefit from his order are the same people who “turned our churches against Ayade” during the 2023 election, accusing party members of attempting to “Islamise Cross River State.” He further alleged that these opponents were “armed against us with guns and machetes at collation centres,” claims he said are supported by available police records. “To be asked to yield the ticket to the same persons that called us Muslims and brandishing guns and machetes at collation centres against us is most traumatizing,” Ayade stated, describing the directive as a “spiritual murder” by giving the ticket to a “newest entrant from opposition just under five months.” Despite his public compliance, Ayade has pleaded with the President to revisit the decision, arguing that his federal constituency has only enjoyed senatorial representation for eight years, while his main opponent is seeking a term that would effectively be a fourth term in the National Assembly.
While Ayade has stepped aside, the political war for the APC ticket in Cross River North is far from settled. Immediately following his announcement, the incumbent Senator representing the district, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, took to social media to dismiss Ayade’s claims as “lies” and a distortion of facts. In his reaction, Jarigbe questioned Ayade’s political relevance, insisting that the former governor “emptied the Cross River State treasury” during his tenure and was seeking another opportunity at the Senate for similar reasons. He maintained that the PDP structure in the district had consistently defeated Ayade politically, adding that he and his bloc “are not weaklings” and “come with votes.” The senator further challenged Ayade’s claim of delivering Cross River for President Tinubu, alleging that the former governor neither stepped down during the APC presidential primaries nor delivered the state in the general election.
The political tussle has attracted other heavyweights as well. Dr. John Onyi Agaba, a business law scholar and farmer, is also in the race for the senatorial ticket, making it a three-way fight even after Ayade’s withdrawal. The upcoming APC primaries, scheduled to begin on May 15, 2026, were already set to be a fierce contest before the presidential intervention. By stepping down, Ayade has effectively removed one of the strongest contenders from the field, potentially paving the way for a direct clash between Senator Jarigbe and Dr. Agaba.
The former governor’s dramatic exit has underscored the enormous influence of the Presidency in shaping candidate selection ahead of the 2027 polls. As of Monday evening, the Presidency had not issued any official statement confirming or denying Ayade’s claim that the President personally gave him the order to step down. However, the development fits a pattern of top-down interventions designed to manage internal party disputes and reduce friction over ticket allocations. Ayade’s public concession appears to be a strategic move to maintain his standing within the party and secure his political future. He has directed his supporters not to purchase nomination forms in defiance of the President’s directive, urging them to remain calm. “It is better we err on the side of caution than to be seen to flaunt the order of Mr President,” he said. Despite the tears, Ayade has pledged to support all APC candidates if the President insists on the order, and he continues to run a free transportation scheme to boost Tinubu’s re-election bid, hoping that his loyalty will eventually be rewarded.
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