Crisis has erupted in the Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as 35 chapter chairmen and secretaries have called for the immediate resignation of the state party chairman, Barr. Alphonsus Eba, over alleged financial impropriety and misconduct.
In a communique issued at the end of their meeting in Calabar on Tuesday, under the banner of the Forum of APC Chapter Chairmen and Secretaries, the forum accused Eba of “high-handedness, insolence, and a transactional approach to party administration.”
Reading the statement, Forum Chairman, Chief Kelvin Njong, said the call for Eba’s resignation followed several alleged breaches, including withholding funds meant for local government and ward officials during the 2023 general elections.
According to the communique, while ₦9.2 million was disbursed to 5,778 local government and ward officials, the state executive, with just 36 members, allegedly took ₦40 million. “This is a gross injustice and typical of the chairman,” it stated, adding that other remittances from the national secretariat remain unaccounted for.
The forum further alleged that Eba’s conduct had sown division within the party, violating provisions of the APC constitution. It demanded the immediate payment of all outstanding stipends owed to local government and ward officials and proposed a new revenue-sharing formula—70 percent to local structures and 30 percent to the state executive.
Comrade Odama Thomas Odama, Chapter Chairman of Bekwarra and Head of Operations of the Forum, described the communique as a “true reflection of the state of the party,” while Forum Secretary, William Book, stressed that the move was not a witch-hunt but an effort to strengthen internal democracy.
Responding in a telephone interview, State Chairman Alphonsus Eba dismissed the allegations, describing his accusers as “very stupid people.” He maintained that his leadership was focused on discipline and transparency, accusing some local officials of mismanaging stipends meant for ward members.
The forum, however, reaffirmed its loyalty to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Bassey Otu, pledging continued support for the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
