2023 Presidency: I’ll step down for Jonathan if APC picks him – Ayade

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has said he would work for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan if his party picks him as its candidate for the 2023 Presidential election.

There have been reports that Jonathan is considering running under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

• Ayade joins 2023 presidential race
• 2023: Jonathan seeking support of same people who brought him down – Yeni Kuti

Addressing State House Correspondents shortly after joining the race on Tuesday, the only APC governor in the South South said he would stand by his party even if the outcome of the primaries does not favour him.

“I have great respect for President Jonathan and so I have no challenges whatsoever. I believe that the party leadership will decide on the appropriate candidate that will take our party to victory.

“And so, if you heard me well, I am just part of the family absolutely loyal to the president, seeking to run for the president. And I am running. But at any point in time that the political leadership of my party, the APC feels that President Jonathan is the appropriate candidate that will actually take us take us to victory, I will turn my support for him.

“I am never, ever going to fight the establishment, the institution, the aristocracy, the spiritual vortex of which God has placed a leader of a country. I will never question the powers of the leader of a country. I have never played a politics of antagonism or fight. If you know how I became governor, I came governor by offering to support whoever the governor wants and by stroke of luck, I became the candidate.

“By the same token, I am only here to support the president’s candidate and by a stroke of luck, he said, you too go there and join the race and let me see.”