The Cross River state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it received as a shock and embarrassment a media reports indicating that a former National Vice Chairman of the party in the South-south, Ntufam Hilliard Eta, instituted a court case against the governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee CECPC of the party.
The state chapter, however, said it has no hand in the case.
Eta had gone to court at the weekend asking that he should be reinstated as the party’s acting national chairman.
But reacting to the development in a statement signed and made available to newsmen Sunday in Abuja, by the Cross Rivers state chairman Sen. Mathew T. Mbu Jnr and the Minister of Power, Prince Jedy Agba, the state chapter condemned and dissociated itself from Hillard Eta’s purported legal action against Gov. Mai Mala Buni and other members of the CECPC.
“We received the news with shock and embarrassment as neither the state chapter to which Eta supposedly belongs nor the zonal chapter of the party sanctioned such decision.
“As a matter of fact, the Cross River APC is on all fours with the decision of the National Executive Committee NEC of the party and our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari that those who took the party to court before should withdraw such cases while any aggrieved person is urged to explore all the internal mechanisms of resolving any issue.
“Ntufam Eta neither brought to our notice any misgiving nor did he avail himself of the internal mechanisms of resolving issues.
“Consequently, the Cross River State APC condemns and dissociates itself from Hillard Eta’s purported legal action against Gov. Mai Mala Buni and other members of the CECPC.
“We state without hesitation that Eta’s action is capable of jeopardizing the remarkable gains recorded by the party since the inauguration of the CECPC.”
The statement, however, warned “Ntufam Eta and his co-travelers as well as co-conspirators to retrace their steps and avoid being used by fifth columnists as agents of destabilization.
“The Cross River State chapter views Eta’s action as an embarrassment to the party because the entire leaders and members of APC in Cross River State are fully in support of the leadership of the Gov. Buni-led CECPC.
“We have also endorsed the reconciliatory and peace moves of the Caretaker Committee. We acknowledge the restoration of peace and discipline in the party which has resulted in the resolution of the crisis in some state chapters.
“The Cross River State chapter also acknowledges the unique measures put in place by the Buni-led CECPC which have attracted many members of the opposition PDP to the APC.
“Finally, the Cross River State chapter of the APC has resolved to set up a committee to look into the nefarious activities of the former National Vice Chairman, South-South with a view to meting out disciplinary measures on him accordingly.”
