Fresh crisis is brewing in the All Peoples Congress, APC, in Cross River following the sack of the party’s interim executive over the botched congress of the party held in Calabar.
The state congress ended in fiasco as thugs invaded the venue while delegates were voting and disrupted the event.
Security operatives who were at the venue of the congress watched helplessly as thugs descended on the delegates and destroyed electoral materials including INEC ballot boxes.
Angered over the shabby handling of the congress which led to its disruption by thugs, APC stakeholders in the state met at the weekend and passed a vote of no confidence on the interim executive led by Hon. Alex Irek, a member of the State House of Assembly.
At the meeting attended by APC leaders, stakeholders as well as candidates vying for the various positions, they accused the interim committee chairman of poor handling of the congress.
They claimed the ugly incident would have been averted if the party leadership was ‘sincere and neutral in its handling of the congress.
Following the sack of the interim leadership of APC in Cross River, a new executive was appointed to run the affairs of the party.
The new interim committee is headed by Mr. Martins Bisong, erstwhile state chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, one of the parties that merged to form APC.
An APC stalwart of the party, Mr. Bassey Ita described the disruption of the state congress as an ‘unhealthy development,’ adding that “what happened during the state congress has dented the image of the party.”
Hon. Irek however described his purported removal as a hoax, claiming that he was still in charge of the party.
Hon. Irek told journalists in Calabar that, “it is not true that I have been removed; I am still the chairman of APC in the state”.
He said those who claimed to have removed him are mercenaries hired to cause disaffection within the party.
The post Botched congress: APC sacks interim exco in Cross River appeared first on Nigeria pilot.