APC Cross River Suspends Chairman Over Misuse Of Funds

Paul Akpanke, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State’s Obudu Local Government Area’s Utugwang North Ward, has been placed on administrative leave.

The Utugwang ward chairman and his exco approved the suspension.

They charged Akpanke with financial malfeasance, acting inappropriately, and disobeying party norms and directions.

An email sent to the party’s chapter chairman and bearing the signatures of 90 ward executives announced the suspension.

The notification of suspension states that it will start on Friday, June 23, 2023.

The exco members who cast a vote of no confidence against the ward chairman also charged him with being a tyrant and unable to advance the party.

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They said that these were to blame for the party’s awful results in the most recent national elections.

Along with violating several provisions of the APC constitution, the suspended ward chairman was charged with doing so with the assistance of some former administration officials.

Parts of the suspension notice read, “Pursuant to Article 26 of the constitution of our great party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, which allows 1/3 of the executive committee of any organ of the party to convey a valid meeting, we write to notify you that in a meeting held on June 23, 2023, and attended by at least, nineteen of the twenty-six members of the Ward Executive Committee of Utugwang North, a Vote of No Confidence was passed on the Ward Chairman, Mr Paul Akpanke”, the notice reads in part.

“Contrary to Article 17 (iii) of the APC constitution, which forbids elected or appointed party officers to stay in office for more than two terms, the Utugwang North Ward Chairman has flagrantly disregarded this by perpetuating himself in office for a third term. He is currently serving an illegal third term in office.

“Similarly, in contravention of Article 21 (vi), of the party’s constitution, the Ward Chairman had factionalised the party by refusing to work with his executive Committee and stakeholders in taking critical decisions that concern the party. He created a faction with just two stakeholders who are responsible for the poor performance of the party in the last election. Recall that the party won just three out of the thirteen polling units in the ward.”

They further accused Akpanke of marginalizing his exco members and making unilateral decisions, maintaining that he has always disobeyed lawful party directives to feed the egos of his sponsors.

At the time this report was filed, attempts to contact Akpanke were unsuccessful since his line was busy.