RismadarVoice Reporters
October 22, 2026
The Deputy Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Cross River State, Jallo Egbeji, has rejected his three-month suspension by the party’s State Working Committee, describing the decision as illegal and without effect.
Egbeji challenged the disciplinary action following the circulation of a suspension notice dated October 7, 2026, which accused him of conduct considered unacceptable by the party leadership.
The notice, signed by the state chairman, Godwin Efa, and secretary, Asuquo Ekpo, suspended him from the State Executive Committee for three months and barred him from carrying out official responsibilities or representing the party during the disciplinary process.
According to the party, the decision followed deliberations concerning his activities and conduct on various platforms.
The State Working Committee said the action was taken under Article 46.2(L) of the ADC constitution, adding that the matter had been referred to the appropriate disciplinary committee.
However, Egbeji disputed the validity of the decision, insisting that the suspension notice was neither formally addressed to him nor copied to him.
He also questioned the name appearing on the document, which identified the affected official as “Mr John Jallo Egbegi”.
Egbeji maintained that his surname was incorrectly written, arguing that the discrepancy raised questions about the identity of the person targeted by the suspension.
“My name was wrongly spelt, which means it is not me,” he said.
The deputy chairman further alleged that the decision was influenced by the All Progressives Congress (APC), suggesting that external political interests were involved in the internal party dispute.
However, he provided no publicly available evidence supporting the allegation, and the APC had not issued a response to the claim as of the latest reports.
Egbeji also criticised the circulation of the disciplinary notice through online platforms, questioning why the party leadership made the information public before formally communicating with him.
The ADC State Working Committee, meanwhile, maintained in its suspension announcement that the action was administrative and subject to the outcome of disciplinary proceedings.
It stated that the affected official would have an opportunity to respond to the allegations in accordance with the principles of fair hearing and due process.
The party also appealed to its members and supporters to remain calm and avoid actions capable of worsening internal disagreements.
The development has brought renewed attention to internal disputes within the Cross River chapter of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
As of publication, no independent determination had established whether the suspension complied with the party’s constitution or whether the spelling discrepancy affected its validity.
The dispute remains unresolved, with the state leadership yet to issue a detailed public response to Egbeji’s objections.
