By Jonathan Ugbal
The Senator representing Cross River North, Jarigbe Agom has said his teetered emergence as Senator representing the Northern Senatorial District is an exception to the human perception of the power Governors wield today in Nigeria.
Senator Agom stated this in Abuja at a reception ceremony at the JD’s Garden in Abuja after he was sworn in by the Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan at the resumption of plenary.
“We all know how Governors are very very invincible, from the perspective of man. But today, there is an exception to that invincibility and that is my emergence as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Senator Agom said in apparent reference to the prolonged battle with Governor Ben Ayade which eventually led to Senator Ayade exiting the PDP for the APC.
His swearing in came after a protracted legal battle that has changed the political landscape in the State. The height of it was the drama that played out before he was sworn in today.
The Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Ibrahim El Ladan told CrossRiverWatch about a rumor of a court judgement stopping the swearing in ceremony that: “We have the court judgement and Jarigbe’s Certificate of Return from INEC. I have not seen any court injunction stopping anything, to be honest. Inauguration is fixed for tomorrow unless something else happens. We are civil servants. We work by instructions.”
And, Jarigbe said he had a particular verse of the Bible he held on to during the political process which began in March 2020.
“I put all my trust in just one verse of the Bible and that is Lamentations Chapter 3 verse 36 and 37. That was my own, and there are so many verses in the Bible that people hold on to.
“In a nutshell, our lives are totally dependent on the will of God and that is all that prevails. And, I want to encourage all of us to hold on to the will of God because there is no other thing that is greater than that,” Agom said.
His swearing in means all the Senators representing Cross River at the National Assembly are all members of the PDP. His counterparts in the Central and Southern Senatorial Districts, Sen. Sandy Onor and Sen. Gershom Bassey respectively were at the event.
Also, former lawmaker and Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke alongside KJ Jedy Agba, Mr. Peter Akpanke, Chief Godwin Ettah, Mr. Asu Okang among other PDP stalwarts were present.
The celebration is expected to continue this weekend in Calabar, the Cross River capital after the confirmation of Venatius Ikem, Esq. as the State Chairman of the PDP following the withdrawal of former lawmaker, Mr. Frank Adah from the race.
Below are some pictures from the event.
