All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State on Wednesday staged a protest at the party’s state secretariat in Calabar, calling for the immediate resignation of the state chairman, Alphonsus Eba.
The protesters, made up of about 35 chapter chairmen and secretaries, blocked the entrance to the party office, preventing access in and out of the building. They carried placards expressing displeasure over the current leadership of the party and accused the chairman of mismanaging party affairs.
Their action followed a communiqué released on Tuesday by 18 chapter chairmen and 17 secretaries led by High Chief Kelvin Njong. The group accused Eba of losing the trust of party members and of withholding their stipends for three months. They also alleged unfair sharing of party funds, misappropriation of election proceeds, and causing internal division within the party.
As of the time reporters visited the scene, no member of the APC State Working Committee had addressed the protesters, and activities within the secretariat were brought to a halt.
Eba, in his response, denied the accusations, saying that salaries were paid directly to ward executives and that payments to the chairmen were being delayed due to an internal investigation.
The protest reflects growing unrest within the Cross River APC as members continue to push for leadership change ahead of future political activities in the state.