Court case: Cross Rivers APC to sanction Eta ― Minister of power, state chairman

For instituting litigation for dissolution of All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, the Cross Rivers State chapter of the party has said it would take disciplinary action against former national vice-chairman, South-South, Ntufam Hilliard Eta.

Minister of State for Power, Prince Jedy Agba and Chairman of the party, Senator Mathew T. Mbu Jnr dropped the hint in a press statement they jointly signed. Eta is from Cross Rivers State.

The former national vice-chairman, South-South who is the plaintiff in the suit filed by his counsel, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, is seeking an order of the court to set aside and nullify the appointment and constitution of the APC Caretaker Committee by its National Executive Committee.

Defendants in the suit are Yobe State governor and Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Mallam Buni and his Secretary, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe as first and second defendants. Others are Osun State governor, Isiaka Oyetola; his Niger State counterpart, Sani Bello and Stella Oketete as third, fourth and fifth defendants, respectively. The suit has the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 6th defendant.

The Minister of State for Power and APC Chairman, Cross Rivers in the statement declared that Honourable Eta’s court action was an embarrassment to the Cross Rivers State which they noted had since pledged its alliance to the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee.

They submitted that the court action did not have the blessings of the Cross Rivers State chapter and the zonal executive.

“Ntufam Eta neither brought to our notice any misgiving nor did he avail himself of the internal mechanisms of resolving issues,” they noted.

They further alleged that Eta was being used by certain individuals to destabilise the ruling party.

The statement entitled, “Hilliard Eta is on his own, to be sanctioned,” read in part: “The Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC is in receipt of media reports indicating that a former National Vice Chairman of the party in the South-South, Ntufam Hilliard Eta has instituted a court case against the Gov. Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee CECPC of the APC.

“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.

“We hereby warn Ntufam Eta and his co-travellers as well as co-conspirators to retrace their steps and avoid being used by fifth columnists as agents of destabilisation.

“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 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.”

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