By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

CALABAR – Former Cross River State Governor, Mr Liyel Imoke, yesterday, said that the Supreme Court judgment, which sacked him and four other governors did not disqualify him from contesting the April 14 governorship election in the state.

He denied rumours of his being disqualified while being presented with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, nomination form as the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the election at the party’s secretariat. He also thanked the party for the confidence reposed in him and his running mate, Mr Efiok Cobham.

He said the presentation of the nomination form to him signified the endorsement of their candidature, adding, “I use this medium to state that we are still the candidates of this great party in the forthcoming election as the Supreme Court ruling has nothing to do with our candidature.”

Meanwhile, mixed reactions have continued to trail the Supreme Court judgment.

State chairman of PDP, Mr Ntufam Okon, described the judgment as an absurdity and confusing, especially as the Appeal Court, which nullified Imoke’s election and ordered a re-run was a court of competent jurisdiction.

Okon, while addressing some protesters who had condemned the judgment at the PDP secretariat in Calabar, said: “As law abiding people, we will abide by that judgment though we feel very pained. I consider it an absurdity.”

He asked party faithful not to worry but get back to the field, saying that if the election should hold on April 14, 2012 as scheduled by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the people of the state will speak again and the judgment of the people will be the ultimate judgment.