The Supreme Court Ruling and Senator Imoke’s Second Term Bid

African Examiner

29 January 2012

The Supreme Court Ruling and Senator Imoke’s Second Term Bid

By Otei Oham

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It is true that the Supreme court, the highest arbiter of law in the land has

given judgement on the tenure of five Governors: Ibrahim Idris of Kogi, 

Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto, Temipre Silva of

Bayelsa and our own Liyel Imoke. It is also true that these Governors

have been ordered by the Court to vacate Office immediately, but lessons

must be learnt from all this, as well as its implication on the non-relented

bid of Senator Imoke to re-contest the governorship election.

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There is also a need for the judiciary to always be prompt with their

pronouncements and verdict rather than give room for tension and shocks

before judgements are reeled out on sensitive issues such as this.

Regrettably, delayed judgements, such as this one given in Friday, are

capable of causing confusion and disaffection among political players in

the affected States. For instance, in Kogi State, as soon as the

judgement ordering the swearing in of Speakers of the affected Houses of

Assembly, both the House and Speaker and the Governor-Elect were

immediately sworn in, thereby throwing the State into the state of

bewilderment.

Besides, many questions are also being asked about certain

interpretations of the judgements, considering the urgency such

elucidation demands at the moment. The affected States are eager to 

vote in their preferred candidates as Governors.

In the case of Cross River, the PDP has conducted its gubernatorial

primaries, where Senator Imoke has emerged as the preferred flagbearer,

under the watchful eyes of Independent National Electoral Commission

(INEC) as required by law. The electoral body, through its Resident

Electoral Commissioner in the State, Barr. Mike Igini, who was at the

venue of the exercise, has described it as fair and transparent.

It was not the first time Senator Imoke will be getting the nod of the

people to fly the flag of the party. Ahead of the gubernatorial election he

was to stand for in 2011, he also got the flag, which was duly recognized

by INEC.

Interestingly, the choice of Senator Imoke by the people is always

anchored on the fact that he understands what it takes to serve people.

No wonder the people are resolving again that this recent judgement will

not change their preference for the Senator as they get set to cast their

votes for him in the coming election.