Judex Okoro, Calabar
Thirty-three political parties under Conference of Nigeria Political parties, CNPP, have congratulated Governor Ben Ayade on his re-election
The CNPP called on governorship candidates from other parties including the All Progressives Congress (APC) to come together and support the administration of Prof Ben Ayade to succeed.
Addressing newsmen in Calabar on Friday, the Chairman of CNPP in the state, Comrade Sunday Michael, said the election of March 9 was free, fair and credible as well as devoid of violence.
He, therefore, urged other political party chairmen and governorship candidates to congratulate Ayade who won the poll with a wide margin and was declared the winner by INEC.
His words: “At the end of the final collation by the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, one of us, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Prof Ben Ayade had the popular mandate and was subsequently declared the winner and governor-elect by INEC.
“Elections have come and gone and our general assessment of the polls shows that the elections were relatively free, fair and credible. It is on this premise that we the governorship candidates and chairmen of political parties say a big congratulation to His Excellency, Prof Ben Ayade.
“We urge his excellency, to see this victory as the validation of the trust of the majority of the people had in him to continue in his industrialisation drive, youth empowerment, job creation.
“We shall be glad to see the realisation of his flagship projects including the super high-way, Deep Sea port, Spaghetti Flyover and the development of new cities in your second coming,” he stated.
According to him, the 33 political parties have pledged to come together and work with the incumbent to take the state to a higher level
He added that “this the only place we have and we cannot destroy it,” urging other candidates to make that call just as about 25 governorship candidates have called to congratulate the winner.