Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade Tuesday threw his hat into the ring for the 2023 Presidential race

Ayade, elected on the platform of the PDP defected to the APC mid stream like Gov Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State who is also a presidential aspirant.

Dailyledger.ng.com reports that Ayade  met with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja Tuesday behind closed doors to  inform him  of his presidential ambition.

About seven weeks to the deadline for the submission of the lists of candidates for next year’s General Election to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the ruling party is yet to decide on two niggling issues that may shape the presidential race: from which part of Nigeria will the presidential candidates of the APC come from, and how will they be nominated.

Apart from Ayade and Umahi, other serving South-South  Governors that have expressed their interest to run for the 2023 presidency include  Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State who are both of the PDP