Cynthia Ezegwu
Protesters, including 35 chapter chairmen and secretaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday, blocked the party’s state secretariat in Calabar, demanding the resignation of the State Chairman, Alphonsus Eba.
The aggrieved members, who barricaded the entrance and exit of the secretariat, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Okadigbo must go,” “The party can’t be starving while you are living large,” and “APC Cross River State deserves fresh air.”
The demonstration effectively crippled activities at the secretariat, as no member of the APC State Working Committee had addressed the protesters as of press time.
The protest followed a communique issued on Tuesday by 18 chapter chairmen and 17 secretaries, represented by High Chief Kelvin Njong, calling for Eba’s immediate resignation.
The communique cited alleged loss of trust, non-payment of three-month stipends, unequal distribution of party funds, misappropriation of election proceeds, and incitement of internal divisions within the party.
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Reacting to the development, Eba dismissed the allegations, explaining that salaries for ward executives were being paid directly, while chairmen’s stipends were withheld pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
Security operatives were seen monitoring the situation around the APC secretariat to prevent escalation as the protest continued into the afternoon.
Further details were still being awaited as of press time.