Liyel Imoke

Liyel Imoke (born 10 July 1961) is a Nigerian politician who served as the governor of Cross River State, Nigeria from 29 May 2007 till 29 May 2015. He is a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Background Liyel Imoke hails from Agbo tribe in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State.

His father, Dr. Samuel Imoke, was a medical doctor who became a cabinet minister and leader of Parliament in the former Eastern Region. Liyel Imoke was born on 10 July 1961 at Ibadan in the then Western Region of Nigeria.

He then studied law at the University of Buckingham, England, gaining an LLB degree in 1985, and then studied at the American University in Washington, D.C., where he gained a master's degree in Law. He completed his legal education at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, in 1988.

Early political career In 1992, Liyel Imoke was elected a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the age of 30 during the Ibrahim Babangida transition government. His term ended with the dissolution of the government in November 1993 by the military regime headed by General Sani Abacha.

Minister of Power and Steel In July 2003, Liyel Imoke was appointed Federal Minister of Power and Steel, and for a while was also Federal Minister of Education. Imoke implemented reforms laid out in the Nigerian Power Sector Reform Act of 2005, leading to establishment of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the unbundling of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). In July 2008 the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said that Liyel Imoke was under investigation. Imoke had lost his constitutional immunity after his election as governor of Cross River state had been annulled.

Governor of Cross River State

In April 2007, Liyel Imoke successfully ran for governor of Cross River State under the People's Democratic Party (PDP). He was sworn in on 29 May 2007. However, the election was annulled by an Election Appeal Tribunal in July 2008. He won a fresh election held on 23 August 2008. He also won the 2011 Cross River State gubernatorial election.