The Supreme Court of Nigeria has in a unanimous judgement today, December 9, 2016, affirmed Ben Ayade as the governor of Cross River State. His affirmation follows a long and contentious legal battle at the instance of Joe Agi, SAN, who had approached the court, praying that Ayade be removed as governor, for age descrepancies detected in forms filled and submitted to the PDP, before the party’s primaries won by Ayade.
In delivering judgement, the Supreme Court said that so far as non of the birth dates in any of the forms Ayade submitted, made him younger than the constitutionally stipulated 35 years of age for the position of governor, it saw no merit in Agi’s prayers. The court also maintained that the decision on who flies the party’s ticket after her primaries, remains an internal matter of the party. It equally frowned at why Agi, who on oath, swore to abide by the party’s decision, before the primaries, veered off and challenged an internal party matter to the Supreme Court, www.calitown.com can exclusively reveal.
We can also report that this landmark case may have thrown up a new catch phrase in the Court’s decision that, Agi cannot “…go behind the backdoor…” to get what he could not get through the front door, instructing too that this judgement should be clearly studied and properly referenced to as the country writes her political history.
Ben Ayade’s legal team of 20 lawyers, led by Paul Erokoro, expressed happiness at the judgement given in their favour. One member of the legal team and Senior Special Adviser to Ben Ayade on Communications and Branding, Doncklemz Enamhe, told www.calitown.com that beyond the “judgement and attendant celebrations, I am convinced that with this judgement of out the way, my principal, Ben Ayade, will now properly focus on his God ordained role of taking Cross River State to the next level”. Jubilant supporters of the governor across the state and beyond have been rejoicing at this verdict.
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