APC crisis: Factional Exco set to elect substantive state chairman

A statement issued by the State Publicity Secretary of one of the factions, Bassey Ita on Monday and made available to DAILY POST, said that the party had earlier in a meeting of the State Working Committee on Saturday, August 15, resolved to replace the late Dr. Matthew Ojong Achigbe, who died in a fatal motor accident in November 2018 with a nominee from the Obubra Local Government Area of the state.

He pointed out that late Achigbe hailed from Obubra Local Government Area and has to be replaced with a nominee from the Obubra chapter of the Party as prescribed by relevant statutes or precepts of the party.

“The decision of the Working Committee to begin the process of shopping for Achigbe’s replacement came on heels of submission of seven (7) nominees from the Obubra chapter to the State Working Committee (SWC); during its emergency meeting on Monday, August 17, 2020 at the party secretariat along Barracks Road, Calàbar.

“The SWC had earlier, specifically listed the vacant positions to be filled to include those of State Chairman, State Assistant Secretary, Assistant Welfare Secretary, Vice Chairman (Central Senatorial District) and Zonal Woman Leader (Central Senatorial District)

“The SWC had given an ultimatum of two (2) weeks within which the process of filling the vacant positions would have been concluded,” the statement added.

It further said that the State Woman Leader of the party, Hon. Esther Bepeh, had declared that, as one of the highest party officials from the Central Senatorial District where the late Achigbe hailed from, she was in receipt of the correspondence from the Obubra chapter of the party detailing the names and profiles of the seven nominees from the two state constituencies of the Obubra Local Government Area for the chairmanship position.

Ita stated that members of the SWC had unanimously adopted the said correspondence as a working document of the committee. They also unanimously promised to deliberate on the issue with other relevant organs and stakeholders of the party in the overall interest of the peace, unity and stability of the party.

“State Acting Chairman, Sir. John Ochala, who presided over the meeting, appreciated the efforts of members in initiating a sense of direction for the party at all times and assured of wide and universal consultation to perfect on the peace and reconciliation process within the party,” Ita further stated.

When contacted via phone on Monday, one of the factional chairmen, Godwin Etim John said, “That is not my Exco, I don’t know about that, call Ochala and ask him whether he is part of that, John Ochala is the Deputy Chairman of that EXCO by their own arrangement, I and John Ochala are working together now as one EXCO.

“You have seen the pictures and the write up duly signed by us, any other talk or whatsoever, Etim John does not know, but since they said that they want to do it, call John Ochala who is supposed to be with them to find out if he knows about that or not, I don’t have any comment to make on that.

“I don’t know about that my brother, one thing I do know is that I and John Ochala who should be representing their group came together and said APC is one and that we are working out arrangement to ensure that the party is together.

“Whoever is writing anything, you call the leader and find out not, Etim John, I am not part of it, as I speak to you, I don’t know what they are doing and I don’t know what they portend,” he stated.