• Factional chairman emerges

Judex Okoro, Calabar

Policemen numbering over 100 stormed Ikot Anna Town Hall, venue of yesterday’s parallel congress of the Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and sealed the place. 

Investigations by Daily Sun revealed that as early as 10:00a.m., the Commissioner for Police, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, had deployed a crack team of security operatives to forestall breakdown of law and order.

But, determined to enthrone their leadership, the delegates relocated to University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), open field, yesterday, and unanimously elected Dr. Mathew Achigbe as the factional chairman, alongside 35 other state officers.

The election presided over by the South South Vice Chairman of APC, Mr. Hillard Eta,  was done by voice vote.
The other faction headed by Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Usani Usani, had, on May 19, 2018, at Cultural Centre, Calabar, elected Mr. Etim John as chairman.

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Since 2016, APC in the state has been fictionalised, leading to disunity and distrust among key stakeholders.
Speaking shortly after his election, Achigbe said: “I thank delegates for finding us worthy to serve the party. It is great honour and we shall take the party to the next level.

“We want to, also, thank President Muhammadu Buhari for all he has done for Cross River. We assure him we will support him to the end, to ensure the state gives him massive votes in 2019.”

Present at the venue of the state congress were the South South zonal Vice Chairman, Mr. Hilliard Etta, Senator John Owan Eno, representing Cross River central and Chief Clement Ebri, former governor of the state, as well as  Prof. Eyo Etim Nyong, former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) commissioner.

Other stakeholders are former party officers, including the former vice chairman, Cletus Obun, former deputy chairman, John Ochalla, Paul Ada, and Venatus Ikem.

Speaking on the sealing of the Nkonob Town Hall, the earlier venue of the congress, Inuwa, said: “We got intelligence report that there would be blood bath, so, we acted promptly to avert it.”