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Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) Cross River chapter has divided the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party as other members have declared war against the National Vice Chairman (South South), Prince Hilliard Eta, on the conduct of the state congress last month.
While the APC NWC maintained that the Cross River State congress was properly conducted and all requirements fulfilled, Eta had described the mini congress which produced John Etim as state chairman of the party as illegal and a charade.
Eta told reporters in Abuja recently: “I got a report, today (yesterday), that one Etim John is going around calling himself the chairman of the APC in Cross Rivers State.
“First of all, I am the national vice chairman of the APC in the South South and Cross River is one of the states under my supervision and I know that, that chapter is headed by John Ochalla, as acting chairman.”
In his reaction to Eta, APC National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, dismissed Eta’s position, and insisted that the Cross River congress was a concluded exercise.
“As far as the party is concerned, that exercise is already concluded.
“The national vice chairman (South South) was the only person that did not vote out of 109 delegates for that election. (He was the only one who) absented himself and didn’t vote and he can’t say it is a charade because he didn’t vote.
“Two persons bought forms and contested and one person defeated the other. So, how was it a charade? And, you know the party has an Appeal Committee; if anybody is not satisfied with the conduct of the congress, why can’t he go to the appeal committee?” noted Izunaso.
On the allegation that 21 days notice was not given to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC national organising secretary said: “Notice was given to INEC November last year.
“This congress was to hold in November last year and notice was given to INEC and once you have given notice to INEC, you have done the needful. So, you can hold it at any later date; it doesn’t matter. What you do is that when you’re holding it, you remind them of the notice.
“We usually write early to secure a date, which is constitutional and how can anybody say we didn’t write to INEC?
“The people who went to conduct that congress, they went there with that letter. That letter was written in November and it was against that date that we were supposed to hold that congress that we wrote that letter.
“But, once you don’t do it (at) that time, you have already given INEC that 21 days notice, what you now give them is a reminder any day you are holding the congress. How can, at this level we will do congress, without giving INEC 21 days notice?”
Also reacting to Eta’s position, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and former chairman of the party in the state, Usani Usani said the congress was properly conducted; as directed by the NWC.
Delegates who voted at the congress were former Cross River governor, Clement Ebi, Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Senator victor Ndoma Egba, Senator Owan Enoh, Senator Bassey Otu, Sir John Ochalla, Bishop Victor Ebong, Mrs. Mary Ekpere-Eta (Hilliard Eta’s wife), Alex Ukam and Sunny Ettah.
Others were Wabilly Nyiam, Lazarus Undie, Etnest Irek, Ngim Okpo, Ernest Eki, Owan Ekpe and Paul Obi.
