Ben Ayade
Senator Ben Ayade, knowing he had no realistic chance of winning the 2022 APC presidential primary, allegedly resorted to extorting funds from other aspirants by falsely promising to step down for them.
He subsequently shortchanged Cross River delegates, reportedly keeping a substantial portion of the funds for himself while offering them only a paltry sum. In a further controversial move, Ayade allegedly urged delegates to ignore so-called “deep pocket” candidates and vote for him based on his intellect—an action widely interpreted as an attempt to undermine Bola Tinubu.
Additionally, funds provided by the party and the presidential campaign for Cross River State were allegedly not used for their intended purpose. Instead, Ayade is accused of diverting part of those funds to support an opposition candidate, reportedly because he believed the late former president backed a different aspirant and not Tinubu. This goes beyond disloyalty and amounts to active financial sabotage.
These actions, it is argued, directly contributed to Tinubu’s loss in Cross River State. Despite securing victory nationally, Ayade’s alleged betrayal—through withholding resources, diverting funds, and pursuing a self-serving delegate strategy—ensured that the state did not deliver for the APC candidate.
The result was a loss in a state where Tinubu was expected to be competitive, attributed largely to what critics describe as Ayade’s greed and political miscalculations.
Further compounding his political challenges, Ayade lost the 2023 Senate election to Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe while still serving as governor—an outcome widely seen as a significant rejection by voters in Cross River North. Rather than accepting responsibility, he has allegedly blamed Governor Bassey Otu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, a move critics describe as deflection.
The issue, observers insist, is not about the influence of Governor Otu or Akpabio, but about Ayade’s credibility:
He allegedly misled fellow aspirants.
He is accused of diverting campaign resources.
He allegedly worked against the interests of his party’s presidential candidate in his own state.
He lost his own election and has since blamed others.
From this perspective, Ayade is seen as a political liability rather than an ally. Critics argue that attempts at blackmail will not rewrite the record, maintaining that he has been rejected both politically and publicly by his constituents.
Ayade is also urged to desist from attacking Governor Otu, who is currently leading Cross River State and, according to supporters, has achieved within a short period what Ayade could not accomplish in eight years.
Ultimately, Ayade’s political burden, critics conclude, is self-inflicted.
Ekpenyong, NSA
APC Chieftain and Public Affairs Analyst, Cross River State