Drama As APC Lists Dead Retired General, Supreme Court Judge As Party Stakeholders
The Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has listed a retired general who is deceased and a sitting Supreme Court judge as key stakeholders in a party meeting scheduled for Monday, February 16, 2026. The party had issued a press release on Saturday, February 14, inviting critical stakeholders across the state’s 18 local government areas to a pre-congress briefing with Governor Bassey Edet Otu at the Calabar International Convention Centre. The invitation also included members of the state caretaker committee and local chapter chairmen. The release titled, ‘APC Stakeholders’ Meeting with the Governor,’ reads, “The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Cross River State Chapter, Ntufam Ekum Ekok Ojogu, cordially invites the underlisted critical stakeholders across the 18 Local Government Councils to a Pre-Congress briefing by the Leader of our Party in the State, His Excellency, Sen. Prince Dr. Bassey Edet Otu, Executive Governor of Cross River State.” According to the release, those expected at the meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. on Monday include members of the state caretaker committee as well as the party’s chapter chairmen. “Please note that only invited persons will be allowed within the vicinity of the meeting,” it added. It was learnt that among the list of invitees in Obudu were Major General Edward Unimna (Rtd.), who passed away last year, and Hon. Justice Emmanuel Agim Akomaye, a sitting Justice of the Supreme Court. Justice Akomaye served in The Gambia from 2000 to 2012, holding several high-profile positions: Director of Public Prosecutions, Justice of the Court of Appeal, President of the Court of Appeal, Justice of the Supreme Court, and Chief Justice (2009–2012). Between 2010 and 2014, he served as Justice of the Supreme Court of Swaziland. Returning to Nigeria in 2012, he was appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal and subsequently elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria on November 6, 2020. Findings also revealed that Unimna died after a brief illness in March 2025. Other controversial inclusions were apparent across the state. For instance, in Calabar South Local Government Area, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Professor Offiong E. Offiong, appears at number 25 on the list. In Akpabuyo, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cross River State, Professor Francisca Bassey, is listed at number 22. Traditionally, university dons serve as returning officers during elections, making their placement on such lists unusual. In Abi Local Government Area, Chief Magistrate David Edogi is listed at number 9, while Professor Peter Oti is recorded as a stakeholder under Obanliku LGA instead of his native Obudu.
