A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State, Ekpenyong (NSA), has accused former governor Ben Ayade of actions he claims undermined President Bola Tinubu during the party’s 2022 presidential primaries.
In a press statement, the party stalwart alleged that Ayade, who was also an aspirant, engaged in conduct that worked against the President’s emergence, including allegedly making financial demands from fellow aspirants with promises to step down.
He further claimed that funds meant for delegates in Cross River State were not fully disbursed, accusing the former governor of withholding resources and failing to mobilise support for Tinubu.
The APC chieftain also alleged that resources provided for the party’s presidential campaign in the state were diverted, claiming that some funds were channelled towards opposition interests—an allegation for which no independent verification was provided.
According to him, these actions contributed to the APC’s poor performance in Cross River State during the 2023 presidential election, where Tinubu lost despite securing victory nationwide.
Ekpenyong argued that Ayade’s political standing had since declined, citing his defeat in the 2023 senatorial election by Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe as evidence of what he described as a loss of grassroots support.
He dismissed claims by the former governor allegedly blaming current Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio for his political setbacks, insisting that Ayade should take responsibility for his actions.
“All these allegations point to a pattern of disloyalty and self-interest,” Ekpenyong said, urging the former governor to desist from what he described as attempts to blackmail party leaders.
