By Abasi Ita
The leadership crisis rocking the Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a new turn as the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) steps in to address mounting tensions and restore order.
This 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 party’s national leadership over allegations raised by the State Executive Committee (SEC).
In a letter dated December 4, 2025, Kankia instructed Eba to appear at the APC National Secretariat on Monday, December 8, 2025 at 4 p.m. to respond to a vote of no confidence passed by SEC members. The meeting, he said, would allow the national leadership to hear directly from Eba and ensure that due process is followed.
The summons comes amid deepening factional disagreements after 30 out of 32 SEC members reportedly voted to impeach Eba, a move the chairman described as illegitimate and “a joke taken too far.”
Meanwhile, Eba has dismissed calls for his resignation by a forum of chapter chairmen and secretaries, accusing them of “running away from their shadows.” The forum had alleged high-handedness, diversion of party funds, and failure to remit stipends to ward and chapter officials.
Reacting, Eba accused the same officials of financial misconduct amounting to more than sixty million naira, insisting that the party now operates a direct payment system that ensures transparency.
According to him, stipends are paid directly into the accounts of all 5,778 party executives across the state. He added that salaries of the 17 chapter chairmen are currently withheld pending investigation into alleged misappropriation.
He further alleged that some chapter chairmen collect millions monthly from political appointees and levies but fail to remit or share the funds with other party officials.
Eba insisted that no chapter chairman has the constitutional power to demand the resignation of a state chairman, stressing that disciplinary authority rests with the state executive committee.
As accusations and counter-accusations persist, the intervention of the NWC is viewed as an effort to halt escalation and stabilise the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The move also highlights Eba’s rising profile within the APC. He is a key player in the ongoing constitution review committee, personally nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the February 2025 NEC meeting. He also serves as National Secretary of the Forum of APC State Chairmen and represents the South South in the constitution review.
Widely regarded by senior party figures, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Eba remains an influential figure at the national level. He has maintained that the attempt to remove him is politically motivated and will not stand.
“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.