By Abasi Ita
Political tension is escalating in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State as leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress remain sharply divided over alleged moves to remove the council chairman, Mrs Mercy Nsor, amid accusations of poor governance and insensitivity to public concerns.
The unfolding crisis comes barely weeks to the party’s congresses and has heightened anxiety within the local political space, with fears that unresolved rivalries among key stakeholders could resurface and further fracture party unity.
During the last local government elections, disagreements reportedly arose between the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem, and former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, over who should emerge as council chairman. The impasse was resolved following the intervention of Governor Bassey Otu, who adopted a consensus approach that produced Mrs Nsor as chairman. Although the decision was accepted at the time, sources say it failed to completely satisfy all interests involved.
Fresh signs of discord have now emerged, with some stakeholders linked to the Speaker’s camp accusing the chairman of marginalisation, favouritism, insubordination, high handedness and alleged financial impropriety.
However, supporters of the chairman have dismissed the allegations as baseless, describing them as a calculated attempt to force her out of office. They warned that any move to remove her could further inflame political tensions in Ikom.
Investigations revealed that stakeholders loyal to the Speaker recently convened a series of meetings and reportedly invited the council chairman to respond to concerns over governance style and financial matters raised by party leaders in the area.
One of such meetings was said to have been held in Ikom on Saturday January 17 and Sunday January 18, 2026, with the aim of addressing what were described as lingering disagreements among party stakeholders.
The chairman was absent from the meetings, a development sources attributed to fears that the gatherings could be used to politically ambush her and lay the groundwork for suspension or impeachment proceedings.
Her absence reportedly worsened the situation, with some quarters accusing her of disrespect and disloyalty, while alleged threats of impeachment followed.
Sources said the strained relationship between the Speaker and the chairman dates back to the process that led to her emergence, following the collapse of earlier attempts to install a preferred candidate.
Although the Speaker is said to have nominated the vice chairman, Hon Maurice Ekpando, sources within the chairman’s camp alleged that the council has experienced persistent instability since then. They accused the vice chairman of working with some councillors to allegedly initiate impeachment moves against the chairman.
A party stakeholder, Comrade Emmanuel Agbor, insisted that the chairman had committed no offence to warrant her removal.
He said Mrs Nsor had made efforts to carry all interests along, including councillors, and described the situation as a power struggle ahead of the party’s congresses and primaries.
According to him, it was inappropriate for any stakeholder to summon meetings without proper consultation with the council chairman, adding that attempts to suspend or impeach her would be resisted.
Another stakeholder, Barrister Chris Agara, said he was not aware of any stakeholders’ meeting, noting that if there were allegations against the chairman, she should be given a fair opportunity to respond rather than resorting to impeachment threats circulated on social media.
Responding to the allegations, the Speaker’s Press Secretary, Mr Matthew Okache, denied claims that Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem was plotting the removal of the council chairman.
He said the Speaker was instead working to mediate and resolve the issues amicably, explaining that the stakeholders’ meeting was a follow up to earlier engagements aimed at addressing unresolved concerns.
According to him, the Speaker has been playing a conciliatory role to ensure peace within the party and has no intention of sponsoring any impeachment move against the council chairman.