By Jonathan Ugbal
Investors coming into Cross River State in the past two years were uneased with the legal issues surrounding the Governor, Senator Ben Ayade causing a slowdown in the investment drive of the current administration the Cross River State government says.
Spokesperson to the Government and Commissioner for Information, Rosemary Archibong disclosed in a telephone interview with CrossRiverWatch where she said with the victory, Cross Riverians will see a more “enabled” leader.
“In the year 2016, a lot of foundations were laid. A lot of agreements, a lot of MoUs were signed. A lot of investors came.
“Some of the investors that came, were having some doubts because of the long legal tussle but by the end of the year, December, everything was brought to the fore.
“The legal tussle saw an end and so any doubt that reigned in the mind of would be investors and other friends of the state were settled” Archibong said.
Governor Ayade was dragged to court by a fellow People’s Democratic Party member, Barrister Joe Agi in a pre-election matter seeking to disqualify him (Ayade) on the grounds that he swore falsely on oath concerning his age and was not an authentic member of the party as at the time the primaries were held on December 8, 2014.
Two years later, on December 9, 2016 the Supreme Court of Justice in a judgment read by the lead judge in the matter, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi threw out the case after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital had done same in July 31, 2015 and the Appeal court, Abuja division early in 2016.
The Governor was welcomed by a mammoth crowd on December 19, 2016 with CrossRiverWatch findings revealing that over NGN100 million was spent for the celebrations.