God Called me to Rule Cross River - Prof. Ben Ayade

Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, on
Friday said he got an instruction from God almighty
to rule the state, with the aim of providing the
dividends of democracy.
The governor said this at the Margaret Ekpo Airport
in Calabar while addressing thousands of
supporters who came to receive him on arrival from
Abuja.
The governor had been away for over a month and
during the period, the Supreme Court fixed
December 9, 2016 for the ruling to determine his
eligibility to continue to govern the state.
The matter at the Supreme Court was instituted by
a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joe Agi, who
contested the 2015 governorship primaries of the
Peoples Democratic Party with Ayade.
But addressing a crowd of over 10,000 supporters
who waited for over three hours in the scorching
sun, Ayade said power belongs to God, and that he
had received divine call to govern the state.
Also at the event were the deputy governor, Prof.
Ivara Esu; Speaker of the state House of Assembly,
Mr. John Gaul-Lebo; Secretary to the State
Government, Mrs. Tina Agbor; state Chairman of
PDP, Chief Edim Inok; and a member of House of
Representatives, Mr. Lego Idagbo.
Ayade said, “I was preparing to run for the Senate
when God called me and said I should be
governor. I came into the office as governor under
the inspiration of God. I am totally innocent. If I
come before the court of man, I come with
supplication for clemency from God,’’ he said.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of State
Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Stephen Odey,
said the people of the state would resist any
attempt to remove Ayade, noting that the people of
the state voted massively for him.