By Edem Ekpo
The leadership crisis within the Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a decisive turn as the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) steps in to address rising tensions and restore order.
This intervention follows a formal summons issued by the APC National Legal Adviser, Murtala Aliyu Kankia Esq., directing the State Chairman, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba, to appear before the national leadership to respond to allegations raised by the State Executive Committee (SEC).
In a letter dated December 4, 2025, Kankia ordered Eba to report to the APC National Secretariat on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 4 p.m. The meeting, according to the letter, will allow the NWC to hear directly from the chairman and ensure that proper procedures are followed in handling the issues brought forward by the SEC.
The summons comes amid deepening factional disagreements following reports that a majority of SEC members had been told that “The System” no longer wanted Eba as chairman. This led to a purported impeachment, which Eba dismissed as illegitimate and “a joke taken too far.”
Eba, who had earlier rebuffed calls for his resignation after a similar action was initiated by the Forum of Chapter Chairmen and Secretaries, accused those pushing for his removal of “running away from their shadows.” The group had alleged high-handedness, diversion of party funds, and failure to remit stipends to ward and chapter officers.
In response, Eba accused the same officials of financial misconduct amounting to more than sixty million naira. He explained that the party leadership, after meeting with vice chairmen, women leaders, youth leaders and ward chairmen, discovered that certain chapter chairmen were diverting funds meant for their colleagues.
To ensure transparency, he said, the party adopted a direct payment system through which stipends are paid into the bank accounts of all 5,778 party executives across the state. He added that salaries and entitlements have been fully paid through this system.
Eba further alleged that some chapter chairmen collect millions of naira monthly from political appointees in their local government areas, in addition to funds released by the government, yet fail to share these resources with other party officials at ward and chapter levels.
He stressed that no chapter chairman has the constitutional power to demand the resignation of a state chairman, insisting that disciplinary action against him can only be initiated by the South South Zonal Executive Committee in line with Article 21 (3) (vi) (d) of the APC Constitution.
As accusations and counter-accusations continue, the NWC’s intervention is widely viewed as an attempt to prevent further escalation and stabilise the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The move also underscores Eba’s rising national profile within the APC. He is a leading figure in the ongoing constitution review committee and was personally nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the February 2025 NEC meeting. Eba also serves as National Secretary of the Forum of APC State Chairmen and is the South South representative in the constitution review process.
Highly regarded by senior party figures, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who described him as one of the most active politicians in the country, Eba continues to wield significant influence within the party’s national structure.
He maintains that the attempt to remove him is politically orchestrated and without merit.
“The process is a joke taken too far. God will speak at the appropriate time,” he said.
With national intervention now underway, party stakeholders anticipate a possible ceasefire as the NWC moves to restore calm and chart a path toward reconciliation.