The Governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade has lost his quest to return the Senate after being defeated by the incumbent senator representing C/R North, Sen. Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe. Ayade who is rounding up his second term as a governor was in Senate from 2011 to 2015 and was also re-elected governor as a PDP member, Ayade, however, defected to the All Progressives Congress in 2021. Agom-Jarigbe chose to remain in PDP. Declaring the results of the election on 27th February 2023 in Ogoja, the INEC returning officer for the election Dr. Emmanuel Emanghe said Jarigbe polled 76,145 votes to defeat Ayade of the APC who polled 56, 595 votes.
“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.
Emanghe expressed gratitude to the security agencies for ensuring the necessary peaceful environment for the successful conduct of the elections.
However, the re-elected Senator could not be issued with the Declaration Form after his declaration by the returning officer.
Upon demand for the Declaration Form, Agom-Jarigbe was told that it was mistakenly taken to Obudu by the electoral body in the state. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Gabriel Yomere, who spoke on phone 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.”
