Alphonsus Ogar Eba, the Cross River State PDP deputy governorship candidate, has accused Governor Bassey Otu's administration of violating a subsisting court order by allegedly invading his property and pasting a fresh demolition notice on his fence wall.
Eba raised the allegation in a statement following what he described as an invasion of his property on Thursday, October 8, 2026, despite a restraining order he said was issued by a court against the planned demolition of his residential buildings.
According to Eba, the dispute began on June 29, 2026, when the state government allegedly issued a demolition notice targeting his residential buildings. He said he subsequently approached the court and obtained an order restraining the government, its agents and representatives from carrying out the demolition or taking further action against the property.
He explained that the court later extended the order after the government sought an adjournment to enable it to respond to his claims. According to him, the order remains in force pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion on notice.
Eba expressed shock over what he described as the government's decision to disregard the court order, alleging that officials invaded his peaceful possession on October 8, defaced his fence wall and pasted a final demolition notice.
He claimed that the fresh notice indicated plans to demolish the property at any hour of the night.
The PDP chieftain described the alleged action as contempt of court and said he had notified the relevant security agencies. He also raised concerns about his personal safety and that of his family, supporters and property.
Eba called on the security agencies to intervene, warning that Governor Otu should be held responsible if anything happened to him, any member of his family or his supporters. The allegation has not been independently verified.
Reacting to suggestions that the demolition threat could be connected to his political ambition, Eba insisted that he would not withdraw from the 2027 governorship race.
“If the plan to break this property is meant to break my spirit for the 2027 election, then I make bold to say that Governor Otu has only emboldened my spirit to pursue this ambition with added vigour and vitality. Nothing will make me withdraw from the race,” he declared.
He further accused the state government of creating an atmosphere of political tension, alleging that the administration was afraid of returning to the electorate because of its performance.
Eba also referred to alleged attacks on him and members of his political party on May 11, September 28 and October 2, 2026, in Calabar and Odukpani. He described the incidents as assassination attempts, although the claims were not independently established in his statement.
The PDP deputy governorship candidate appealed to his supporters and sympathisers to remain calm, stressing that they would continue to pursue their rights through lawful means rather than resort to violence.
He warned those allegedly involved in actions against him to reconsider their position, arguing that political loyalty should not come at the expense of personal safety or the rule of law.
Eba also called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, the Chief of Army Staff and the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to intervene and urge the governor to respect the rule of law.
He maintained that the matter should be allowed to proceed through the courts, insisting that democratic governance requires public officials to respect judicial orders.
As of the time of this report, the allegations against the Cross River State Government had not been independently verified, and no response from the governor or the state government was included in Eba's statement.
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