Two chairmanship aspirants from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Obudu and Bekwarra Local Government Areas, Peter Banbeshie Ikwen and Chris Obogawon Ogaidan, have filed a lawsuit in the Cross River State High Court in Calabar, contesting the legitimacy of the party’s recent local government nominations ahead of the 2024 elections.
The suit, submitted on October 25, 2024, calls into question the transparency and legality of APC’s process for nominating chairmanship and councillorship candidates. Represented by their legal counsel, Ikwen and Ogaidan allege that the party’s nomination procedures were inconsistent with national and party regulations. They argue that critical provisions, such as Section 7(1) of the Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended), Article 20 of the APC Constitution, Clause 5 of APC’s primary guidelines, and Section 8 of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) Law 2024, were disregarded, rendering the nominations “invalid, unlawful, illegal, and void.”
The plaintiffs are seeking judicial clarification on these provisions, maintaining that the APC’s process violated required protocols. Court records reveal that attempts to serve notice on APC and CROSIEC met with resistance, delaying official acknowledgment of the suit. According to Nigerian law, the defendants—including the APC, Peter Akongfe Udiandeye, Theresa Ushie, and CROSIEC—must respond within eight days of service.
The case has sparked broader questions about the APC’s internal nomination process, with critics suggesting that the primaries may not have adhered to democratic principles of transparency. This legal action is expected to prompt scrutiny of APC’s practices not only in Obudu and Bekwarra but potentially across the state.
While some candidates have accepted the party’s nominations, others remain dissatisfied, underscoring concerns over inclusivity in the APC’s selection process. As the case progresses, the court’s ruling could set an important precedent for future nomination practices within Cross River State’s political landscape.
