"Politics Cannot Cancel Tax Obligations" — Cross River APC Counters PDP Candidate

Cross River APC has dismissed allegations by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, that the state government is using tax authorities to frustrate the operations of his privately owned university because of his political affiliation.

The state's APC Chairman, Hon. Christopher Etta, made the remarks during an interactive session with journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Calabar, where he addressed several political issues, including taxation, internal party democracy and the planned demolition of structures on State Water Board land.

Etta was responding to recent claims by Archibong, founder of Arthur Jarvis University, who alleged that the Cross River State Government had imposed excessive tax assessments on the institution in a politically motivated attempt to cripple its operations. The PDP governorship candidate had earlier accused the government of deploying tax authorities against his university because of his opposition status.

Rejecting the allegations, the APC chairman described them as unsubstantiated and maintained that tax disputes should be resolved through documentary evidence rather than political rhetoric.

According to him, the university management should make available its tax records, including previous payments, statutory obligations and the latest tax assessments, so the public can objectively determine whether there was any case of unfair treatment.

"If you ask him to show you his record, based on what he ought to pay, what he actually paid and what he has to pay based on the assessments, I'm sure that his theory will fall," Etta said.

He urged journalists to obtain and examine official tax documents before publishing allegations, insisting that verified records would provide a clearer picture of the controversy than political accusations.

Beyond the tax dispute, Etta also criticised diaspora-based commentator Portrait Peterson, accusing him of making misleading statements about political developments in Cross River State despite residing outside Nigeria.

On internal democracy within political parties, the APC chairman argued that qualified aspirants should not be denied the opportunity to contest elections based on subjective opinions about their competence or public perception. He warned that excessive screening of aspirants could expose political parties to accusations of manipulating the democratic process.

Addressing concerns over the proposed demolition of structures on State Water Board property, Etta denied claims that the exercise was designed to weaken opposition figures.

He maintained that the demolition exercise affects both APC members and opposition politicians, noting that a large percentage of the affected property owners are members of the ruling party.

According to him, portraying the exercise as a targeted attack against the opposition is misleading and ignores the facts on ground.

Etta called on the media to conduct independent investigations before amplifying political allegations, stressing that responsible journalism should prioritise verified facts over partisan narratives.

The exchange marks the latest development in the growing political dispute between the APC-led Cross River State Government and the PDP governorship candidate over taxation and alleged political intimidation. While Arthur Jarvis insists his university is being unfairly targeted, the APC maintains that every taxpayer is subject to the law and that any disagreement over tax assessments should be settled through official records rather than public accusations.

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