TELL Magazine

By: Henry Okoutu

Senator Ben Ayade has emerged winner of the Cross River State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial primary elections held on Monday at the U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar, Cross River State. Ayade won with 752 votes.

Ahead of the election, Francis Ugbor, Legor Idagbor, Larry Odey and Mike Anah all stepped down for Ayade.

There were reports that another aspirant, Jeddy Agba decided to boycott the primary election because of what he described as lack of internal democracy, irregularities and lack of transparency in the state chapter of the PDP.

At the beginning of the primary election, Olusola Akomode, leader of the PDP national secretariat delegation at the election read out the guidelines for the primary and enjoined all delegates present to ensure a peaceful congress.

Speaking earlier, Liyel Imoke, Cross River State governor, said the need to zone the next gubernatorial candidate of the party in the state to the Northern senatorial district was important in order to ensure equity and allow all the three senatorial districts in the state have a shot at the number one citizens’ job.

In the same vein Ntufam John Okon, chairman of the state chapter of the PDP acknowledged the contributions of the leadership of the party in the state and said that the level playing ground within the party was responsible for the peaceful conduct of the primary election.