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.
