Photo: Cross River State Governor, Ayade's supporters welcome him with a coffin bearing his opponent's name

Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade was welcomed at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar on Friday with a solidarity rally by a large crowd following his return from Abuja....

Some of his supporters carried a coffin with the name of former gubernatorial aspirant, Barrister Joe Agi, who is currently at the Supreme court with Governor Ayade for allegedly falsifying his age in the nomination forms purchased for the gubernatorial primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the run up to the 2015 general elections which Ayade won.

Bearing the coffin crested with "R.I.P Joe, the men chanted the governor’s name in a local song.

Governor Ayade had won the case filed by Agi at the trial court and up to the appeal court with the governor’s supporters confident of a smooth victory until counsel to the PDP, N. Ibegbulam apologized on behalf of the party to the Supreme Court for fielding Ayade despite being aware of the discrepancies in his date of birth. 

This upset caused a stir in the polity which suddenly became heated. The Supreme Court has reserved December 9, 2016 for judgement