APC Suspends Akpabio Aide Over ‘Unauthorised’ Stakeholders’ Meeting

A fresh rift has emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State following the suspension of a media aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio over an alleged breach of party protocol.

Eseme Eyiboh, who serves as spokesperson to the Senate President, was suspended by executives of Ward 9 in Esit Eket Local Government Area after he convened a stakeholders’ meeting without the consent of local party leadership.

The decision, conveyed in a letter dated April 22 and signed by ward officials, cited what it described as anti-party conduct, including actions “detrimental to the unity and progress of the party.”

The executives accused Eyiboh of disregarding party structures, engaging in divisive activities and failing to recognise local leadership.

The move came barely a day after the Esit Eket APC chapter chairman, Urua Akpe, had warned that any political gathering held without official approval would attract sanctions. Despite the caution, the meeting went ahead, drawing several political figures and community leaders.

Participants at the gathering reportedly endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term, alongside Akpabio, while also backing other lawmakers for re-election ahead of the 2027 polls.

Speaking at the event, a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Bassey Dan-Abia, described the meeting as a platform to advance community interests.

“Our focus is on moving Esit Eket forward and recalibrating its growth trajectory,” he said.

Eyiboh, however, defended his action, insisting that the forum was not a formal APC meeting and therefore did not require approval from party executives. He argued that stakeholders’ engagements fall outside the purview of party structures.

“He doesn’t need to approve the meeting of Esit Eket stakeholders,” he said, dismissing the basis for the sanction and questioning the authority of local party leaders over such gatherings.

The controversy appears linked to earlier directives by Governor Umo Eno, who had cautioned against unauthorised political meetings at both state and local levels, a position that has heightened tensions within party ranks.

While the ward-level suspension has been effected, the APC state leadership has yet to take a definitive position on the matter. The party’s spokesperson in the state, Patrick Edeke, indicated that a formal response would be communicated after due consideration.

The development underscores growing internal disagreements within the APC at the grassroots level, particularly as political actors begin early alignments ahead of the next general elections.