APC Tells Ayade to Delay Salaries of Political Appointees over Alleged Anti-party

Bassey Inyang in Calabar

The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Cross River State, has appealed to Governor Ben Ayade, to delay for two weeks, the payments of March salaries to political appointees at the state and local government levels, until the party concludes the investigation of its members suspected to have engaged in anti-party activities during the 2023 general election.

The APC made the appeal in a press statement yesterday and signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Erasmus Ekpang, which announced the “Constitution of Special Committee for Identification, Report, Reprimand, and Discipline of Anti-Party Activities in the last National and State Elections in APC Cross River State.

“The party hereby appeals to the Governor, Sen. Prof. Ayade CON to please delay the payment of State and Local Government Political Appointees March salaries for two weeks pending the conclusion of this report and necessary disciplinary action,” the statement stressed.

The party said the disciplinary committee was instituted following request by its faithful and committed members, which was deliberated on during series of engagements with critical stakeholders.

“The State Excos in its meetings of Thursday 30th March 2023, has approved the constitution of a Special Committee to receive complaints of all anti-party activities (including but not limited to working in cohort with opposition Parties and their Candidates except Yala 1 State Constituency House of Assembly alliance with Labour Party which was consequent upon the nullification of the duly elected Candidate of the Party,) ceaseless litigations by members of the Party which were not withdrawn, collusion with security agencies against the Party and her Candidates, etc,” the statement stated.

The party advised any member of the committee who was indicted to recuse him or herself before sitting, stressing that any person invited to defend him or herself shall do so in person, as representation by legal practitioners shall not be entertained.

Stressing that complaints shall be entertained only from card-carrying members with proof of membership, no form of political witch-haunt and frivolous petitions shall be entertained by the party, it added.