Imoke Emerges PDP Guber Candidate In Grand style

L-R: CROSS RIVER STATE GOVERNOR, SENATOR LIYEL IMOKE AND FORMER CROSS RIVER STATE GOVERNOR, MR DONALD DUKE AT THE PDP PRIMARY.

SAN FRANCISCO, January 23, (THEWILL) – Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke has clinched the 2012 governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State in grand style, crushing his main challenger, Nigerian former Ambassador to Mali, Soni Abang by 737 votes – 3 votes. 7 votes were voided.
 
A total of 747 delegates were accredited for the primary, which was witnessed by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by the Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini.
 
The peaceful primary which was conducted at the U.J. Esuene Stadium was supervised by Senator Ahmed Zanna. Delegates and party supporters started trooping into the venue as early as 7.am to participate in the process. Mid way into the exercise, Imoke’s overwhelming popularity amongst party delegates and supporters had put him way ahead of Abang. At the end of the exercise an elated Imoke thanked party men for handing him another mandate.
 
A defeated Abang said the election was not free and fair.

 
But Chairman of the Electoral Panel Senator Ahmed Zanna in his brief address to party men congratulated the PDP in Cross River State for successfully staging a very peaceful primary and urged other state chapters of the party to emulate the Cross River PDP.
 
Zanna urged Imoke to be magnanimous in victory by extending a hand of friendship to Abang so as to give him a sense of belonging in the party.
 
In his address after the exercise, Mr. Igini said Cross River has raised the benchmark for free, fair and credible elections in the federation.
 
“Cross River State is now number one in terms of sanity in elections.
 
“With every sense of responsibility from what we saw, it was a good exercise and should be used as a rebranding point,” he stated.