Ani Bassey
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stepped in to restore order in the Cross River State chapter.
This follows mounting tensions over the alleged removal of the State Chairman, Barrister Alphonsus Ogar Eba.
The intervention follows a summons issued by the APC National Legal Adviser, Murtala Aliyu Kankia, directing Eba to appear before the party’s national leadership in Abuja on December 8, 2025, to address allegations raised by members of the State Executive Committee (SEC). The SEC had recently announced a vote of no confidence in Eba and claimed he had been removed from office.
The letter dated December 4, 2025, Kankia said the meeting would enable the national leadership to hear directly from Eba and ensure that established procedures are followed in handling disputes.
The development comes amid reports that some SEC members were told that political forces backing them had withdrawn support for the chairman. Eba described the purported impeachment as unconstitutional, insisting it was a political stunt taken too far.
This is not the first time Eba has faced internal opposition. Recently, the Forum of Chapter Chairmen and Secretaries accused him of high-handedness, mismanaging party funds, and failing to pay stipends to ward and chapter officials.
Eba pushed back, alleging that some chapter chairmen were involved in financial misconduct amounting to more than sixty million naira. He noted that the party had adopted a direct payment system to prevent diversion of funds and ensure that all 5,778 party executives in the state receive their stipends directly. He added that all salaries have been paid.
He further alleged that some chapter chairmen collect substantial funds from appointed officials in their local government areas and receive additional support from the state government without sharing the money with other party members.
Eba maintained that chapter chairmen lack the constitutional authority to demand the resignation of a state chairman. He cited Article 21.3 (vi) (d) of the APC Constitution, which places disciplinary powers over a state chairman under the South South Zonal Executive Committee.
With accusations and counter accusations intensifying, the NWC’s decision to intervene is seen as a crucial step toward stabilising the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Eba’s increasing prominence in the APC has also been highlighted. He is a key member of the ongoing constitution review committee and was nominated for the role by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the February 2025 NEC meeting. He serves as National Secretary of the Forum of APC State Chairmen and represents the South South zone in the review process.
Top party figures, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, have described Eba as one of the party’s most active leaders, citing his growing influence at state and national levels.
Reacting to his purported removal, Eba dismissed it as politically driven and insisted it would not stand.
“The process is a joke taken too far. God will speak at the appropriate time,” he said.
