National working committee steps in as C’River APC crisis deepens

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The crisis within the Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has taken a significant turn as the party’s National Working Committee moves to restore order and enforce due process amid growing internal tensions.

It could be recalled that the SEC had recently passed a vote of no confidence on Eba and claimed to have removed him from office.

Immediately at the party’s secretariat in Calabar, Ntufam Ekum Ojogu was unveiled as its acting chairman, PUNCH Online had earlier reported.

In a letter dated December 4, 2025, made available to newsmen on Friday in Calabar, Kankia instructed the chairman to appear at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 4 pm to respond to the allegations, emphasising that the meeting would allow the national leadership to hear directly from Eba and ensure that established procedures are strictly followed.

The statement read: “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.

“In line with the need to clarify the circumstances surrounding the development and to ensure that your response is duly documented, you are invited to a meeting as follows: Monday December 8, 2025, at the Office of the National Legal Adviser, APC National Secretariat, Abuja by 4 pm.

“The meeting is convened strictly for the purpose of hearing from you directly and ensuring due process is followed in handling the issues raised by the State Executive Committee. You are therefore expected to attend and present any explanations or documents you deem relevant.”

The latest NWC intervention comes amid rising factional disputes triggered by reports that some SEC members were informed that “The System” no longer wanted Eba to remain in office. His purported impeachment was dismissed by Eba as unconstitutional and “a joke taken too far.”

Eba, who last month rejected similar calls for his resignation by the Forum of Chapter Chairmen and Secretaries, accused his opponents of “running away from their shadows.” The forum had earlier accused him of high-handedness, fund diversion, and non-payment of stipends to chapter and ward officials.

In response, Eba alleged that some of the same officials were involved in financial misconduct exceeding sixty million naira.

He maintained that the party has since adopted a direct payment system, ensuring that stipends and salaries are transferred directly into the accounts of all 5,778 party executives across the state. This system, he said, was introduced to prevent diversion of funds by some chapter leaders.

Eba insisted 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 oversight of a state chairman under the South South Zonal Executive Committee.

As accusations and counter-accusations deepen tensions within the party, the NWC’s intervention is seen as a decisive step to halt further escalation and stabilise the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The move also reflects Eba’s growing influence within the APC. A key figure in the party’s ongoing constitution review, he was personally nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the February 2025 NEC meeting.

Eba also serves as the National Secretary of the Forum of APC State Chairmen and represents the South South geopolitical zone in the constitution review committee.

Reacting to his purported removal, Eba maintained that the action will not stand, describing it as a politically motivated attempt lacking a legitimate basis.

“The process is a joke taken too far. God will speak at the appropriate time,” he said.

With national intervention now underway, party stakeholders are hopeful that a ceasefire is imminent as the NWC moves to enforce order and guide the chapter toward reconciliation.

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