It was an electrifying moment at the secretariat of Ogoja Local Government Area Council of Cross River state at the weekend as the council’s monarchs and chiefs endorsed the Senatorial ambition of Cross River state governor, Professor Ben Ayade.
They also threw their weights behind the ambitions of other candidates of the party, including that of Senator Prince Bassey Otu and his running mate, Hon Peter Odey for the governorship of the state.
The party’s candidates for House of Representatives and State House of Assembly, Hon Jude Ngaji and Thomas Aruku respectively were also endorsed by the monarchs.
The monarchs said the endorsement was in recognition of the Governor’s achievements in the council area.
The APC candidates in next month’s senatorial election were endorsed by the monarchs during a consultative meeting he had with them at the Ogoja Traditional Rulers Council chamber Secretariat.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues at the event amidst drumming and cheers by thousands of enthusiastic supporters and party faithful who thronged the venue, the paramount ruler of Ogoja and chairman of Ogoja Traditional Rulers Council, Mathias Odey Abua said they were not only endorsing the governor but also all candidates of the party from top to bottom.
Describing Ayade as the “God we are seeing with our eyes right now”, the monarch expressed gratitude to the governor for what his administration has done for Ogoja.
“Your Excellency, you are the God we have seen with our eyes right now. You are the father of Cross River state and on behalf of my chiefs, I wish to thank you and tell you that you are there already.
“We endorse you and your party; we also endorse all the candidates too.”
Earlier, Governor Ayade commended the monarchs for honouring the meeting. He stressed that as the headquarters of Cross River North senatorial district, Ogoja was dear to his administration hence the attention paid to the council.
According to him, “Ogoja has the largest vitaminised rice mill in the whole of Africa and it was a promise made and promise fulfilled; my administration gave Ogoja four commissionership slots, it has never happened before in the history of Cross River, we provided dualised road for Ogoja and today, we did a groundbreaking for Cross River Polytechnic.
“The next Deputy Governor is an Ogoja son; so you will agree with me that Ogoja has never had it good”.
The Cross River state governor told the royal fathers that it was imperative “for Ogoja to vote for the party that has an Ogoja son on its ticket as deputy governor”.
The carnival-like event had in attendant the state Deputy Governor, Professor Evara Esu, Cross River state APC gubernatorial candidate, Senator Bassey Otu, his running mate, Hon. Peter Odey, State APC chairman, Barrister Alphonsus Eba among other party chieftains and government functionaries.
