BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – The gathering storm of power struggle currently unfolding within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River has snowballed into confusion and uncertainty with the State Deputy Chairman, Ntufam Ekok Ajogu taking over the leadership reins as the Acting State Chairman
Forefront News gathered reliably that this significant threat to the ruling Party’s cohesiveness primarily centres around calls for the State Chairman, Barrister Alphonsus Eba to resign from office over allegations of financial impropriety and high-handedness.
But amid the heightening power struggle tearing the State chapter apart, the embattled Chairman, Barrister Eba has called for calm, claiming that he still remains the authentic and legally recognized State Chairman of the party.
He described the unfolding drama as a “joke taken too far”, saying that as long as the procedure outlined in the APC constitution was not followed in his purported removal, he still remains the recognised State Chairman of APC in Cross River.
He cited several important roles assigned to him by the Party’s National Secretariat, including the South South Coordinator of APC Constitution Review Committee, as the State chairman and wondered what becomes of such sensitive assignments if his purported removal is upheld by the Party headquarters in Abuja.
However, not fazed by Barrister Eba’s claims, the Acting Chairman, Ntufam Ajogu, in his maiden address to the 18 Local Government Chapter Chairmen of APC in the state, assured them of his readiness to pay all their outstanding entitlements while ensuring peace and harmony return to the party.
Ntufam Ajogu lauded the Chapter Chairmen for initiating the impeachment process that led to the removal of Barrister Eba as the APC State chairman in a rancour free and peaceful manner.
He said the Chapter Chairmen’s bold move has saved the ruling party from going into extinction at a crucial moment of preparing for 2027 general elections.
Forefront findings however revealed that Barrister Eba’s sins may be connected to the elaborate airport reception he arranged for former Governor Ben Ayade which some within the corridors of power in the state interpret as divided loyalty
There are hush hush voices within the State seat of power indicating that Eba miscued with such showy airport reception which are ordinarily meant for either Mr President or sitting governors but definitely not former governors who should quietly transit in and out of the state without much attention.
The source further said besides having such elaborate airport reception for a former governor, going ahead to pour encomiums on him with appellative such as the doyen and father of APC in Cross River State clearly crossed the line and demonstrated disloyalty to the current administration.
Insisting that such event was uncalled for and smacks of disrespect to the Governor as the Leader of APC in the State, an insider said Eba’s action, including allegations of financial impropriety cannot be treated with kid gloves.
Another angle to the alleged sins committed by Barrister Eba, Forefront News reliably learnt, is the recent defection of Senator Ekom Jarigbe, representing Cross River North Senatorial district from PDP to APC.
Competent sources hinted that the latest development was reportedly engineered from very high quarters to frustrate former Governor Ayade, who allegedly is nursing the ambition of returning to the upper legislative and possibly take a shot at the Senate presidency.
Meanwhile, party insiders also hinted that allowing someone like Ayade, who refused to step down for President Tinubu during the primaries leading to 2023 general elections, to carry the APC ticket in 2027 general elections as one of its senatorial candidates, with Alphonsus Eba at the helm of Party’s affairs in the state is like digging ones grave while still alive.
However, amid the disputations, the silence from Governor Bassey Otu’s camp is deafening with insiders maintaining that the ‘Sweet Prince’ is fully focused on governance and does not have time for frivolities in the guise of petty squabbles among party leaders and officials.
