The crisis rocking the Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has escalated, prompting the party’s National Working Committee to step in to restore order and ensure due process amid deepening internal tensions.
This follows a formal summons issued by the APC National Legal Adviser, Murtala Aliyu Kankia, directing the State Chairman, Alphonsus Eba, to appear before the national leadership over allegations raised by members of the State Executive Committee.
The SEC recently passed a vote of no confidence on Eba and announced his removal, unveiling Ntufam Ekum Ojogu as acting chairman at the party’s Calabar secretariat.
In a letter dated December 4, 2025, Kankia instructed Eba to appear at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 4 pm to respond to the allegations. The meeting aims to clarify the circumstances surrounding the vote of no confidence and ensure all procedures are followed.
The letter read in part “I write to formally notify you of a meeting scheduled to address the vote of no confidence passed on you by members of the Cross River State Executive Committee… The meeting is convened strictly for the purpose of hearing from you directly and ensuring due process is followed.”
The NWC’s intervention comes amid rising factional tensions, with reports suggesting some SEC members were told that “The System” no longer wanted Eba in office. Eba has dismissed his purported impeachment as unconstitutional, calling it “a joke taken too far.”
Eba has faced mounting opposition, including calls for his resignation from the Forum of Chapter Chairmen and Secretaries, who accuse him of high-handedness, fund diversion, and non-payment of stipends. In turn, Eba has accused some officials of financial misconduct exceeding ₦60 million.
He defended the party’s new direct payment system, which he said ensures stipends and salaries are sent directly to the accounts of all 5,778 party executives, eliminating diversion by chapter leaders.
Eba also insisted that chapter chairmen lack the authority to demand the resignation of a state chairman, citing Article 21.3 (vi) (d) of the APC Constitution, which places disciplinary powers with the South South Zonal Executive Committee.
The crisis comes at a time when Eba’s influence within the party is believed to be growing. He is a key figure in the party’s constitution review and was nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the February 2025 NEC meeting. He also serves as National Secretary of the Forum of APC State Chairmen.
Reacting to his purported removal, Eba maintained that the process is illegitimate, describing it as politically motivated.
“The process is a joke taken too far. God will speak at the appropriate time,” he said.
With the NWC now mediating, stakeholders are hopeful that tensions will ease and unity restored as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.
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