…Stakeholders, government officials fight dirty
BY UKET OKA, Calabar
The lingering crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, has assumed another dimension as critical stakeholders and some top government officials have continued to fight dirty over who controls the party leadership and structure in the area.
Findings by Daylight Reporters indicates that the unabated internal wrangling has also led to the factionalization of the party leadership in the Municipal Council.
While one faction is reportedly headed by the commissioner for local government, Chief Felix Idem, the other is said to be led by the chapter chairman, Chief Emmanuel Mbora.
Insider sources said the face-off escalated recently when the emerging factions started deploying new antics intended to outsmart each other in the quest to control the party structure in the state capital.
Our sources also hinted that the latest catalyst to the internal wrangling was the alleged arbitrary proclamation of the Commissioner for the State Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Chief Felix Idem, as the de facto leader of the party in the local government by some of loyalists, who they allege are unknown in the party’s hierarchy and constitution.
The impeccable sources further revealed that the internal crisis began shortly after the inauguration of the Cross River State Executive council with three commissioners namely, Chief Felix Idem, (Local Government Affairs), Effiom Ekaha (Mineral Resource) and Bishop Margaret Ene Ita from Calabar Municipality and the member representing Calabar Municipality State Constituency, Hon Stanley Nsemo.
According to the sources. on assumption of their respective offices, they suddenly saw themselves as political leaders and therefore, launched a subtle campaign to take over the control of the party structure in the area to remain relevant.
It was also learned that their desperation to take over the party machinery using all means led to the “kangaroo” suspension of the duly elected chapter chairman of the party, Chief Emmanuel Mbora based on trumped up allegations.
“Even as the leadership of the party at the state level waded in and called for reversal of the purported suspension citing flagrant violation of the party’s constitution the quartet of Idem, Ekaha, Ita and Nsemo shunned all entreaties insisting that Mbora has been removed.
“The stakeholders are wondering where Idem and his men were when they toiled day and night and spent their hard earned resources to ensure the emergence of Governor Bassey Edet Otu even when some of them were conspicuously missing in the field,” our sources said.
Daylight Reporters further learnt that, worried by the ugly development, the foundation members of the ruling APC in Calabar Municipality have advised political office holders from Calabar Municipality to tailor their time and resources towards delivering on their assigned schedules as commissioners and law maker rather than meddling in the daily affairs of the party warning that such obsession will not be tolerated.
Addressing newsmen in Calabar, the State capital on Monday, the members under the aegis of Concerned APC Stakeholders in Calabar Municipality observed with dismay that, “the penchant demonstrated by these political opportunists in controlling the party is overheating the polity rather than consolidating on the gains on the ground and reinvigorating the party for future electoral victory.”
The coordinator of the group Mr. Sam Etim, noted that, “It is saddening that after we toiled and sacrificed significantly in the field to ensure the emergence of Senator Bassey Otu as the governor of our state, some few individuals spearheaded by the commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Chief Felix Idem, are hell-bent on usurping the functions of the party hierarchy and dictating to everyone.”
“A few days back, Idem and his cohorts invited stakeholders to what was supposed to be a get-together to usher in the new year, only for his cronies to turn the event into a political gathering where he was proclaimed as the undisputed leader of Calabar Municipal APC caucus against existing norms and conventions of the party.
“He in turn got up to pronounce a deputy chapter chairman of the party as a new chapter Chairman, promising to lead the presumed new exco to the governor for a formal introduction. Is it not madness?” he queried
According to him, “We will resist any attempt from any quarter aimed at undermining the gains recorded by the party in the last election which was attributable to our huge sacrifices and hard work. We therefore urged the state governor to nib the tussle in the bud before it escalates beyond redemption.”
Also speaking, another Legacy member of the party, Eteka Tom, disclosed that, “Article 21 of APC Constitution is clear and sacrosanct,” adding that, “only the chapter chairman is empowered to summon any meeting of the party within the local government; regrettably, our party is being run aground by meddling interlopers with no bearing on the focus of the party.”
Also commenting on the issue, a stalwart of the party, Ebong Asikpo, expressed dissatisfaction with the prolonged delay by the relevant top hierarchy of the APC in the State in checkmating the continuous threat posed by government officials to the unity of the party in the state capital.
Asikpo stated that, “the State Chairman of the party, Barr. Alphonsus Eba, had waded in the other time in his official capacity to settle the fracas, explaining in clear terms that only the party leadership has the prerogative to summon meetings and oversee the routine administration of the party, but our appointees and elected government officials have blatantly opted to contravene the constitution of the party flouting the directive of the leadership of the party at the state level.”
“The onus is now on the governor to do the needful by calling these people to order before they destroy the height we have taken the party to. If Chief Felix Idem and co want to run the party, they should simply resign and take up positions as party officials once the tenure of the current executive elapses. Otherwise, they should enjoy our sweats and stop rocking the boat”
Efforts to get the State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Chief Felix Idem, to comment on the issue were abortive as his phone line was unreachable.