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.
Ayade, who is nearing the end of his second term as governor, was in the Senate from 2011 to 2015 and had intended to return to the position as the senator for River North.
Sen. Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe, the incumbent, won the election instead. Ayade received 56,595 votes, while Agom-Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party received 76,145.
“By the powers conferred on me as the Returning Officer of the Northern Senatorial District, I hereby announce Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party elected for the Northern Senatorial District,” the returning officer, Dr Emmanuel Emanghe, said.
Inheriting his position of authority through the Peoples Democratic Party was Governor Ayade. He was chosen as the party’s nominee for the Senate in 2011 and for governor in 2015. As a PDP member, he was also re-elected governor.
But in 2021, the governor joined the All Progressives Congress. Yet Agom-Jarigbe choose to stick with the PDP.