Governor Ben Ayade loses senatorial election in Cross River

Governor Ben Ayade has lost his bid to return to the Senate following his defeat by the incumbent senator representing Cross River North, Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe.

Mr Ayade, who was in the Senate between 2011 and 2015, lost the National Assembly elections conducted on Saturday with 56,595 votes against Agom-Jarigbe’s of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 76,145 votes.

The returning officer, Emmanuel Emanghe, who spoke on behalf of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the result for the polls around 3:05 a.m. on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Agom-Jarigbe, a two-time member of the House of Representatives, was elected into the Senate through a bye-election in September 2021 following the death of Rose Okoh.

Mr Ayade, who is serving out his two-term as governor of the state, sought to replace Mr Agom-Jarigbe as the Senator representing Northern senatorial district of Cross River.

However, the re-elected senator could not be issued the declaration form after his declaration by the retuning officer.

Upon demand for the declaration form, Mr Agom-Jarigbe was told that it was mistakenly taken to Obudu by the electoral body in the state.

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The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Gabriel Yomere, a professor, who spoke by telephone said, “the form was mistakingly taken to Obudu but he can be issued with a temporary one pending when the original one will be brought.”

Meanwhile, Godwin Offiono of the PDP, was returned elected for the Ogoji/Yala Federal Constituency election.

Mr Offiono, defeated the incumbent lawmaker representing the area, Jude Ngaji of the All Progressives Congress, by 36,651 votes to 32,973 votes.

The Ogoja/Yala Federal constituency result was announced by Wakasor Ofem.

(NAN)