How Liyel Imoke won Cross River Governorship Election

AFTER 30 days of being out of power, Senator Liyel Imoke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will this morning return to the Cross River State Government House, having won his second term election, held weekend, with 92.16 per cent of valid votes cast.

Imoke polled 451, 544 of the 489, 939 valid votes cast at the election, which recorded 40.29 per cent voters’ turnout, to be declared winner by the Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of University of Calabar, Prof. James Epoke, at the Cultural Centre Mini-Theatre, Calabar.

The candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, came a distant second with 31, 026 votes which constituted about six per cent of the total votes cast. Chief Patrick Okomiso of the All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, came third with 2, 235 votes while two of the female candidates, Mrs. Imah Nsah-Adegoke of the Labour Party and Mrs. Mary Ekpere of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, scored 1, 922 and 705 votes respectively, to come fourth and sixth.

Imoke was among four other governors who were relieved of their posts on January 27 by the Supreme Court on the ground that their tenures expired on May 28, 2011, even though they won re-run elections and were re-sworn-in.

Having waged a successful battle, Imoke received salutes in torrents yesterday from many quarters including the Presidency and the National Assembly. Among those, who feted him were President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President David Mark and Deputy House of Representatives Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha.

The Returning Officer said that the state had 1, 243, 916 registered voters out of which 501, 117 came out to vote. Of this figure, 489, 939 valid votes and 11, 178 voided votes were recorded.

Prof. Epoke stated that elections were held in 17 of the 18 Local Councils as there was a court order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from conducting elections in Day Spring 1 and 2 which are recognized by the commission, as the authentic place of abode for displaced Bakassi indigenes.

He said: “With respect to Bakassi Local Government Area, there is no result. This is on account of a court order served on INEC by which the election could not hold. However, we are going to use results of the 17 Local Government Areas to decide the winner of the election.”

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