Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has denied participating in the All Progressives Congress, APC, Northern Senatorial primary election.
Ayade lost the ticket after he polled 52 votes against Adams Cecelia, who scored 140.
But reacting in a statement signed by Ayade’s media chief, Chris Ita, the State Government maintained that Ayade did not take part in any senatorial primary.
The statement said Ayade is a presidential aspirant and will be taking part in the APC presidential convention slated for 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.
“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.
