Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Cross River State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has elected a new executive committee despite a court action restraining the NWC and its agents from conducting another Congress.
The congress, which was sanctioned by the national executive of the party, was boycotted by the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru, and his executive who claimed to have obtained an injunction against the exercise.
The minister, who is allegedly the leader of the party in the state, is in support of a parallel executive committee in the state led by Mr. Godwin Etim John who is a product of a congress conducted in May this year.
Speaking while inaugurating the new executive committee, APC National Vice Chairman, South South, Ntufam Hilliard Eta, intimated the congress that last July during a regular meeting of the National Working Committee of the party, it dissolved the parallel state executive committees existing in the state as a result of some issues that arose from the last May Congress of the party held nationwide.
Eta said following the dissolution of the parallel executives, the state chapter had no committee as at Wednesday, August 22, 2019 when the congress took place.
The election which took place on Wednesday, August 22 was held at the Nkonib Ansa Town Hall, Ikot Ansa, Calabar Municipality, was observed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and representatives of the party from Abuja.
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Dr. Matthew Achigbe was elected Chairman; Sir John Ochalla, State Vice Chairman; Bishop Victor Ebong, State Secretary; Mr. Chris Eyo Treasurer just as a former member of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Cletus Obun was elected Vice Chairman for Central Senatorial District. All was through voice vote.
Chairman of the Congress Committee, and former Edo State Attorney General, Henry Idahagbon, stated that the APC in Cross Rivers needs a united home to confront the opposition in the 2019 general elections.
Idahagbon commended members of the party in the state for their peaceful conduct of the congresses at the ward, local government and state levels, pointing out that the conduct of the state congress has fulfilled all legal requirements including the presence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who came as observers.
Speaking shortly after his inauguration, Dr Mathew Achibge said he would do everything possible to turn the fortunes of the parry around just as he called on other party members to join hands in building the parry in the state ahead of 2019 general election.
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Meanwhile, the Etim John led executive held a stakeholders’ meeting at its factional office along Ndidem Usang Iso Road Calabar where they agreed”that members of the party should not participate in any purported State Congress due to the subsisting court injunction. That any other congress by any group of individuals or party agents in Cross River remains null and void.
“That the APC in Cross River State shall obey the order of Abuja High Court of August 16, 2018 in which a perpetual injunction was placed on APC against conducting any further State Congress in Cross River,” said a communiqué signed John.