1. Benedict Bengiuoshuye Ayade is a Nigerian politician who served as the governor of Cross River State from 2015 to 2023.
18 Facts About Ben Ayade
1. 2.
Ben Ayade served as Senator for Cross River North from 2011 to 2015.
3.
Ben Ayade was born in Obudu LGA of Cross River State on 2 March 1968 to Peter Akinsheye Ayade and Beatrice Ngayi Ayade.
4.
Ben Ayade's father worked as a public servant with the water board.
5.
Benedict Ayade received his primary education at St Stephens Primary School, Obudu, and proceeded to Government Secondary School, Obudu, Nigeria, for his secondary education.
6.
Ben Ayade went on to work as a lecturer at Delta State University, Abraka, where he was appointed professor.
7.
From his work in groundwater remediation in Nigeria, Ben Ayade invented a sewage treatment plant powered by solar energy.
8.
Ben Ayade ventured into politics when he ran for a seat in the Nigerian Senate in the 2011 elections as a member of the PDP.
9.
Ben Ayade was elected by accumulating a total of 91,123 votes.
10.
Ben Ayade won the gubernatorial poll again on the platform of the People's Democratic Party in the April 2015 elections in Cross River State, having polled 342,016 votes ahead of the All Progressives Congress candidate in the state, Odey Ochicha, with 53,983 votes.
11.
Ben Ayade recontested in the 2019 gubernatorial elections as a member of the People Democratic Party and was reelected as the governor of Cross River State.
12.
Ben Ayade was awarded the 2016 Vanguard Governor of the Year.
13.
Ben Ayade was awarded the 2019 Champion Newspaper Governor of the Year.
14.
Ben Ayade was awarded the 2020 Leadership newspaper Governor of the year.
15.
Ben Ayade was awarded the Blueprint Newspaper Governor of the Year on Agro-industrialization 2021.
16.
On 24 August 2019, Ben Ayade was invested as the Knight of St John International by the Roman Catholic Church, Sacred Heart Cathedral, the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Calabar.
17.
Ben Ayade is married to Dr Linda Ben Ayade and has 3 children.
18.
Ben Ayade's hobbies include reading, playing and watching games, as well as dancing.