Ayade informs Buhari of his intention to join Presidential race

Emmanuel Alfred

Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade has informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his intention to join the presidential race.

Ayade, who is of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made his intention known after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.

The Governor said he came to seek spiritual and political guidance from the President and that he will focus on said security, economy, electricity and employment should he become the President.

Ayade further added that he will replicate what he did in Cross River, adding that if the Presidency is zoned to the South, he is willing to take up the challenge as the only APC governor in the South – South.

Asked to react to unconfirmed report that the APC might present former President, Goodluck Jonathan as the sole candidate for the 2023 presidential election, he said “I have great respect for President Jonathan and so I have no challenges whatsoever.

“I believe that the party leadership will decide on the appropriate Candidate that will take our party to victory. And so, I am just part of the family and absolutely loyal to the president.

But at any point in time that the political leadership of my party, the APC feels that Former President Jonathan is the appropriate candidate that will actually take us to victory, I will totally support him”.

“I became Governor by offering to support whoever the governor (Imoke) wanted and by stroke of luck, I became the Candidate.

“By the same token, I am only here to support the President’s Candidate and by a stroke of luck, he said, you too go there and join the race and let me see.”