Ayade Urges Unity Behind Otu’s 2027 Decision

Former Governor of Cross River State, Senator Ben Ayade, has called on political stakeholders and supporters to set aside their differences and align with the leadership direction of Governor Bassey Otu ahead of the 2027 political cycle.

Ayade, who has not officially declared for the Senate, made the appeal on Saturday at his residence in Abuja while reflecting on the sacrifices and challenges he faced during his time in office, stressing that leadership often requires difficult decisions and personal endurance for the greater good.

Speculation has been rife that the former senator would contest, as his supporters have set up campaign groups canvassing for his return to the Red Chamber after 12 years.

Although the former governor, while speaking to delegates from Cross River State he hosted at his residence, did not declare his interest in the Senate seat, he said the decision of the governor is supreme, as he had been there and knows what happens when one is a governor.

“I may have sustained some scars in the process of trying to deliver our family, but that’s the duty of leadership. I took the pain,” Ayade said.

“I knew the size of the army. I knew the number of the army that came to my senatorial district—two hundred and fifty-four armed policemen were with me, and I refused any of them from moving because it was too dark and too daring to move into collation centers.”

The former governor, however, expressed satisfaction with the current administration, noting that the state is now under capable leadership.

“But today, we’re happy that we have Prince Bassey Otu as our governor,” he added.
Emphasising the need for unity and strategic compromise in politics, Ayade urged party members and stakeholders to prioritise collective progress over individual differences.

“Sometimes in life, you compromise a little so that you capture the bee, but you cannot capture a future that you did not picture. The Prosperity Agenda survives, and that’s why we have a principal too. Please let us all forget our differences,” he said.

Ayade also dismissed any notion of lingering grievances, stating that political disagreements are a natural part of the democratic process.

“There is nobody here I’m angry with because, in politics, you have the right person, you have people who are representing you—they have the right,” he said.

“But when the direction comes from the governor, all of us will align,” he added.