CALABAR, Nigeria – The All Progressives Congress, APC, executive in Ward 8, Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, has suspended Ekpenyong Iso, the state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, for alleged anti-party activities and misappropriation of funds.
In a statement jointly signed on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in Calabar by the Chairman of Ward 8, Mr. Kingsley Ekpe, and the Secretary, Mr. Gilbert Bassey, the party said that Iso’s suspension is pursuant to Article 21 (D) of the APC Constitution.
“We write to notify you of your 12 months suspension from Ward 8, Calabar Municipality, of the APC,” the statement reads. “Your suspension is predicated on the recommendations of the disciplinary and fact-finding committee set up to investigate the petition of misappropriation of party funds and anti-party activities leveled against you.”
The statement further adds that Iso is to stay away from all party activities during the pendency of the suspension, which takes immediate effect.
Reacting to the suspension, however, Iso denied the allegations of anti-party activities and misappropriation of funds. In a statement to journalists, he claimed that the accusations were completely false and that he was not involved in any wrongdoing during the just-concluded polls.
“The statement issued on my purported suspension was written by some unscrupulous persons,” he said. “The ward executive of the party is meeting soon to refute the statement because there is no substance to their claims.”
The suspension of the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Cross River State has caused a stir in political circles in the state. Some party members have expressed support for the suspension, while others have criticized it, calling it a witch-hunt.
The APC leadership in the state has, however, called for calm and urged party members to await the outcome of the fact-finding committee’s investigation into the allegations against Iso.
The suspension of Ekpenyong Iso from the APC is likely to have far-reaching implications for the party’s fortunes in Cross River State, where it has been struggling to maintain its hold on power in recent years.
