Confusion As Ayade’s Name Found On APC List Of Senatorial Aspirants (Photos)

Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has thrown the All Progressive Congress in his state into confusion as he appeared to have purchased both Presidential and Senatorial forms of the ruling party.

A list of senatorial aspirants filed by the APC and seen by THE WHISTLER at the party secretariat showed that Ayade is listed as number nine.

Ayade is from the Northern Senatorial Zone of the state and had last week obtained his expression of interest and nomination forms, saying it was purchased by a group of persons known as sons and daughters of Cross River State.

But our correspondent spotted the senatorial form bearing the governor’s name as ‘BEN. B. AYADE’ with receipt number 9498, showing he picked the form on May 10, 2022, according to the official filing at the Directorate of Organization of the APC.

He will be contesting the party’s primary against two other aspirants – Orim Martin Ojie, who obtained his form on May 6, 2022, and Barrister Adams Cecilia Ekpere with receipt number 6309, who purchase his form on April 29, 2022.

Ayade is seeking a return to the office he left in 2015 after emerging governor. But the development is causing confusion as to why the governor picked the senatorial form if he is serious about his presidential ambition.

Several aides who spoke with our correspondents on condition of anonymity for fear of being sanctioned expressed distaste and said the governor should have allowed Stephen Odey to vie for the senatorial seat.

Odey is one of his associates and he current chairman of the State Universal Education Board, SUBEB, and was a senator before being sacked by the court.

When called for comments on the development , spokesman of the APC, Felix Morka, did not pick his calls and did not return the call before press time.

Similarly, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Christian Ita, did not pick his calls when our correspondent called him.