RismadarVoice Reporters, April 29, 2026
A disputed attempt to suspend Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ward 9 of Esit Eket Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, has triggered internal backlash, with fresh allegations of forgery and threats of legal action emerging.
The controversy escalated after an Ex-Officio member of the ward, Prophet Edet Ben, rejected the legitimacy of the suspension process in an affidavit filed before the High Court in Uyo. He described the exercise as fraudulent, insisting that no ward meeting was held on April 22, 2026, to deliberate on any disciplinary action.
Ben maintained that he neither attended nor endorsed any such meeting, alleging that his name and signature were unlawfully included in documents linked to the purported suspension. He specifically disowned an attendance list and a “Letter of Suspension” reportedly forwarded to party authorities at both the chapter and state levels.
In a formal notice, he demanded the immediate withdrawal of his name from all related documents, a public retraction, and an end to the use of his identity without consent. He warned that failure to comply within 24 hours would result in legal action.
The suspension, said to have been announced by a faction within the ward, accused Eyiboh, Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity of anti-party activities. However, the move has drawn criticism from within party circles and grassroots supporters.
A local political group, Ward Nine New Era, dismissed the action as baseless and lacking due process. The group questioned why Eyiboh was singled out despite the presence of other prominent stakeholders at the same community stakeholders’ endorsement meeting.
Among those listed were former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Bassey Dan-Abia; former Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Bassey Essien; former lawmaker, Usoro Akpan-Uso; and former Commissioner for Women Affairs, Ini Adiakpan.
Supporters of Eyiboh argue that the allegations are inconsistent, noting his recent involvement in mobilising grassroots support for key APC figures, including President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Political observers say the unfolding developments expose divisions within the ward structure, warning that the controversy could undermine party cohesion if not addressed.
With claims of forgery, procedural breaches, and growing dissent, what began as a disciplinary action now risks escalating into a broader legal and political dispute.
