Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade has denied taking part in the All Progressives Congress, APC, Northern Senatorial Primary Election.
Ayade was reported to have lost the ticket after polling 52 votes against Adams Cecelia’s 140.
The State Government, however, stated in a statement signed by Ayade’s media chief, Chris Ita, that Ayade did not participate in any senatorial primary.
According to the statement, Ayade is a presidential aspirant who will attend the APC presidential convention on June 6.
”We make bold to say that the so-called parallel primary election as contained in the said video was at best a poorly scripted skit comedy shot by three persons sitting in a room.
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“The sham video is indeed a joke taken too far. It was a vapid, infantile but failed attempt at manipulation, as the clowns behind it tragically forgot to also manufacture ballot boxes, delegates, observers and APC panel members,” it said.
The State government said the result circulating on social media was the handiwork of political desperadoes who are out to embarrass the governor.
”We wish to assure teeming APC members and supporters, particularly in Northern Cross River, that there was no parallel Senatorial primaries in the district.
”The only valid and recognised senatorial primaries that took place in Ogoja and which was won by the former Chief of Staff to the Governor, Martin Orim and which does not have Ayade on the ballot, was monitored by the INEC and representatives from APC’s National Secretariat.
“The purported video suggesting a parallel exercise should, therefore, be ignored,” it added.
