Amidst rumours that Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River took part and lost in a primaries for the Cross River North senatorial district election, his aide has said that his principal is still a presidential aspirant under the All Progressive Congress.
In a statement released on Saturday, Christian Ita, his aide said political detractors had stage-managed the whole charade saying his boss is not interested in a sensorial seat.
He stated, “The attention of the Cross River state government has been drawn to a video circulating in cyberspace purporting to be a parallel All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primaries for Northern Cross River where His Excellency, Professor Ben Ayade was listed as a participant.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we hereby state clearly that Governor Ayade did not take part in any senatorial primaries.
“His Excellency is a presidential asp
“The sham video is indeed a joke taken too far. It was a vapid, infantile but failed attempt at manipulation as the clowns behind it tragically forgot to also manufacture ballot boxes, delegates, observers and APC panel members.
“It was a handiwork of political desperadoes who are out to embarrass the governor.
“We wish to assure APC members and supporters, particularly in Northern Cross River, that there was no parallel Senatorial primaries in the district.
“The only valid and recognised senatorial primaries that took place in Ogoja and which was won by the former Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon Martin Orim and which does not have Ayade on the ballot, was monitored by the INEC and representatives from APC’s National Secretariat.