Senator Eteng, Ekpere allege rigging in APC Cross River Central primary

… Demand cancellation of exercise

From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar

Two leading aspirants in the All Progressives Congress have rejected the APC primary for Cross River Central, alleging the exercise was rigged to install a preferred candidate and disenfranchise thousands of party members across the 66 wards of the senatorial district.

Senator Eteng Jonas Williams and Mary Ekpere addressed a crowd of supporters in Ikom and demanded the immediate cancellation of what they called a “flawed and illegitimate” primary held earlier that day.

“The process was compromised from the start,” Eteng said. He accused party officials of withholding electoral materials and using an unauthorized panel “deliberately constituted to influence the outcome.”

According to Eteng, supporters arrived at ward and local government collation centers only to find empty venues. Voting locations, he said, were changed overnight without notice.

“This was a calculated attempt by influential figures within the party to suppress participation and impose a predetermined outcome,” he said.

Ekpere said her name was quietly removed from the Cross River Central list and moved to Cross River North in a move to sideline her from the contest.

“That action was taken by the state chapter to clear the path for a preferred candidate of the state government,” she alleged.

Both aspirants said the primary violated a direct directive from the APC national secretariat, which they claim had barred Oden Ewa over clearance issues and ordered that all results be sent to Abuja for ratification.

“We are all members of the APC who worked for the survival of the party during its difficult years,” Ekpere said. “The selective treatment given to Oden Ewa despite his disqualification is unacceptable. Governor Otu should not allow selfish interests to undermine the party.”

Supporters at the rally warned that ignoring the complaints could split the party ahead of the general elections. They urged the APC national leadership to intervene, impose discipline, and restore internal democracy.

“Any perceived compromise of party supremacy could trigger protest votes and weaken the party’s electoral chances,” one speaker said.

The APC state chapter has not yet responded to the allegations. The national secretariat has also not commented on the demand for cancellation.