Gov Ben Ayade

"You are governor from the south-south, go out there too and consult. I am happy that you didn't come here to tell me you want to run, you came here to say you want to support me. Let me watch you as you go out there",  the governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, who Tuesday  formally joined the race for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the above were what President Muhammadu Buharí told him which motivated him  to declare his aspirations for the presidency

Gov Ayade added that he had no intention of joining the race until he was asked by the president to do so.

He disclosed this to journalists after the meeting with the president.

Mr Ayade said he was at the villa to seek guidance from the president on how to proceed with his political alignment but Mr Buhari asked him to join the race instead.

According to Mr Ayade, the President said, “You are governor from the south-south, go out there too and consult. I am happy that you didn’t come here to tell me you want to run, you came here to say you want to support me. Let me watch you as you go out there.”

He described himself as a standby candidate, even though he will support the candidate of the president.

“I will support the president’s candidate. Even though I am on standby, if I’m available. If you’re the choice, I will support the president’s candidate,” he said.

Mr Ayade added that the same approach landed him the governorship seat in 2015.
Describing his emergence as a “stroke of luck, the governor said the same stroke of luck is visiting him again.

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