Embattled State Chairman of APC, Barr. Alphonsus Eba,
By Dominic Kidzu
The ruling party in Cross River State, the APC, has been thrown into a whirlwind of crises while it’s State Executive Committee and chapter leadership across the 18 local government areas are now scattered on the road like contents of a feather pillow bust asunder in a gale. This has left Barrister Alphonsus Eba, State Chairman of the party completely stranded as his golden crown has now fallen from his head.
The 5,778 officials of the party at the local government and ward levels including 18 Chapter chairmen and their executive committees, 191 ward chairmen and their executive committees and 30 out of the 36 members of the state executive committee have all resolved that they can no longer work with the state chairman.
What began as a minor rumpus has now been allowed to snowball into a major conflagration hitherto unheard of in the history of party politics in the state. Unfortunately, the state chairman who should by now be secretly meeting with aggrieved party leaders to douse the flames is said to be talking tough and calling his aggrieved party leaders foul names. As both parties remain trenchant and unyielding, the entire party headquarters is now under lock and key with the chapter chairmen holding the entire bunch of keys.
High Chief Kelvin Njong, leader of the chapter chairmen, told me yesterday, that the crisis was not about money alone. Speaking in the presence of Comrade Odama Thomas Odama, chapter chairman of Bekwarra, and Deacon Dennis Egor, his colleague from Obubra, Njong said that:
“Fundamental is party unity. Money is secondary. A situation where party chairmen, secretaries and members of executives at various levels are fighting is not good for the party. And we are heading up to elections. We need peace and unity to deliver the party. The state party chairman is instigating crisis in the party and using
devide and rule tactics. He uses our subordinates to cause confusion at the local government level. One ward chairman in ikom, wrote a press release saying that his chapter chairman has no power to call them for meetings. And when the meeting was called he refused to attend because he is Okadigbo’s boy.”
“Okadigbo has not given us our monthly stipend for four months. The party gets 60 million Naira subvention every month, but Okadigbo gives us N9.2 million to share among 5,778 officials of the party and keeps the remaining N50.8 million for the 36 members of the state executive committee. When we asked him to increase our stipend a little he refused, telling us that he is a barrister, that we are wretched people who live in rented apartments, he said he is stupendously rich and we are local breed”.
High Chief Njong said that before the general elections of 2023, the party sold delegates, expression of interest and nomination forms with the understanding that they will be given their share of those monies as it is usually the practice but till date nothing has been given to them.
“Finally having xrayed the tense and fractured state of the party and going for election in less than two years, all the chapter chairmen have agreed to rescue the party from the iron grip of okadigbo. We have reported our grievances against him to the governor and informed him that what we are doing is not personal. It is for the good of the party. Presently the state excutive committee of the party is divided into four groups with Okadigbo leading one group. That is not how to lead a cohesive ruling political party.”
Agreeing with High Chief Njong, Comrade Odama Odama who is head of operations of the forum said that the state chairman is “too transactional and abrasive and lacks the temperament to run a rubost party like the APC.”
For now the party headquarters remains under lock and key and the flamboyant state chairman’s four year reign seems to be ending outside the gate since he no longer has access to his office. As almost all his associates have deserted him, political pundits in the state believe that he might be throwing in the towel in the coming days.
Kidzu is a Journalist and Political Analyst based in Calabar.
