Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade has informed President Muhammadu Buhari, of his intention to seek the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, (APC).
The Governor declared his intention on Tuesday, after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Ayade, who said he had the longest meeting with the President ever, said Buhari advised him to do more consultation before he declares.
The Governor said, he came to seek spiritual and political guidance from the President, on who will take over from him, come 2023, for continuity’s sake.
He also said security, economy, electricity and employment will be his focus.
He said he will replicate what he did in Cross River State in Nigeria if allowed to serve.
He said he will bring up a policy that will address all the challenges confronting the country in a few months.
Governor Ayade said, if the presidency is zoned to the south, he is willing to take up the challenge, as he is the only APC governor in the south-south.
Asked about a report that the APC might present former President Goodluck Jonathan, he said, “I have great respect for President Jonathan, and so I have no challenges whatsoever.”
“I believe that the party leadership will decide the appropriate candidate that will take our party to victory. And so, if you heard me well, I am just part of the family, loyal to the president, seeking to run for the president. And I am running and at the point in time that the political leadership of my party, the APC feels that President Jonathan is the appropriate candidate that will take us to victory, I will turn my support for him.”
“I am never, ever going to fight the establishment, the institution, the aristocracy, the spiritual vortex of which God has placed a leader of a country. I will never question the powers of the leader of a country. I have never played a politics of antagonism or fight.”
“If you know how I became governor, I became governor by offering to support whoever the governor wants, and by a 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.”
Ayade joins the list of serving governors in the country, who have declared their intentions to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
