WITH the Presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, fast approaching, the Niger Delta Youths Forum has endorsed Senator Professor Ben Ayade, the Cross River State governor as the best person to take over from President Mohammadu Buhari.
Addressing newsmen in Calabar on Monday, Chairman of the Forum, Hon Henry Onwe, the Youth Forum also urged President Mohammadu Buhari to adopt Senator Ayade as the consensus candidate of the party because he is neutral and his being the standard bearer of the party would engender unity, promote cohesiveness and enhance easy victory for the party in the presidential election.
“The personality that Ayade possesses rare. His performance as governor speaks volumes. Projects like the 245 km Super Highway, construction of the longest dual carriage way spanning through five local areas in northern part of the state stands out as the best man among the lot for 2023 Presidency”.
Onwe who was backed by the executive and hundreds of members of the Forum said Cross River State has some of the largest industries in the country currently, all established by Governor Ayade inspite of the paucity of funds accruing to the state and its high debt burden.
“It takes some one with the intelligence, sagacity and vision of a personality like Senator Professor Ben Ayade to perform the feat witnessed in the state.
“There is the largest garment factory, the best state university for medicine and law and high yield vitaminsed rice factory in Africa in the state today courtesy of Senator Professor Ben Ayade. If he could achieve this with near zero allocation, then he can transform Nigeria to the country of our dreams in just four years” Onwe said.
He said since Ayade indicated interest in the 2023 Presidency, all he has done is to highlight his blue print on how he would combat insecurity, the economy, enhance entrepreneurial advancement and this he has done with clarity and exceptional passion without any form of desperation and this is what good leadership needs.
“He has the best security architecture and over twenty thousand appointees who are regularly and promptly paid every month which is a clear indication that Governor Ayade stands head and shoulders above all the contenders which make him fit to occupy this position to the benefit of our people and make our country proud”.
The Forum stated that Ayade has zeal, commitment to development and the prerequisite ability to turn the fortunes of the country around within a short period as President and accordingly advised the delegates to be patriotic and vote for someone who is prepared to develop all parts of the country without any partiality.
“We in Niger Delta Youth Forum appeal to President Buhari to look closely at the profile and track record of each aspirant before taking a decision on who to adopt as the consensus candidate. Ayade is detribalized, has enough capacity, commitment to the cause of development of this country and should therefore be the one adopted as the. consensus candidate of our dear party” Onwe said.
The Forum noted that monetary inducement should not be the yardstick on which aspirants are voted but credibility, ingenuity, track record and vision should be the planks and Ayade obviously possesses those qualities.
The youths implored the delegates to be guided by love for the country and the future generations of Nigerians yet unborn in taking their decision.
