TheCable

Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River, has secured a senatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the 2023 elections.

Ayade was declared winner of a rerun primary for Cross River north senatorial district, which held at the Ogoja LGA headquarters on Thursday.

The rerun followed the withdrawal of Martin Orim, who had won the primary conducted by the party on May 28.

The Cross River governor had contested the APC presidential ticket but lost to Bola Tinubu, former Lagos governor.

According to NAN, Sameera Tabo, chairperson of the APC primary election committee, said the rerun was conducted in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

A total of 255 votes were cast, but three were declared invalid.

In his remarks after the exercise, Ayade, who contested unopposed, expressed appreciation to his supporters.

“After running for the office of the president of Nigeria, I returned home and then came under tremendous pressure from my people,” he was quoted as saying.

“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.

“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 legislations 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.”

Meanwhile, the APC had, in June, submitted Ayade’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate for the senatorial district.