Leaders of the party in the state made their position known during a press briefing held in Calabar, where they insisted that the arrangement is not recognised by the party’s constitution.
Speaking during the briefing, the State Vice Chairman (Central) of the party, MacFarlane Ejah, said the introduction of an interim caretaker leadership threatens internal democracy within the party and could create legal complications ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the controversy began after a meeting reportedly held in Abuja on July 29, 2025, where the party’s elected National Executive Committee was allegedly dissolved and replaced with an interim leadership structure.
The new arrangement reportedly included several prominent political figures who were assigned different leadership roles within the party.
However, Ejah argued that the party’s 2018 constitution does not provide for any interim or caretaker leadership structure, stressing that party leaders must emerge through properly conducted congresses as outlined in the party’s guidelines.
He further stated that allowing the interim leadership to organise congresses or manage party affairs could create serious legal problems that might affect the eligibility of candidates in future elections.
According to him, such a situation could potentially invalidate candidates produced by the party in the 2027 elections if the leadership arrangement is later challenged in court.
The Cross River ADC leadership also revealed that it has submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the electoral body to intervene and ensure that the party operates strictly according to its constitution.
The petition reportedly requests INEC to stop the interim leadership from acting on behalf of the party and halt planned congresses scheduled to take place in early April.
Party officials warned that if the electoral body fails to respond within seven days, the state chapter may take the matter to court in order to protect what they described as the constitutional structure of the party.
Despite the disagreement, the Cross River ADC leadership maintained that it remains committed to the party but insists that all actions within the party must follow democratic and constitutional processes.
Post A Comment: