By Street News
The Vice Chairman of Ogoja Local Government Area in Cross River State, Hon. Emmanuel Idi Yakubu, has officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing prolonged marginalization and alleged mistreatment by the council chairman, Hon. Chris Agbeh.
In a detailed resignation letter dated June 24, 2025, and addressed to party members and constituents, on Wednesday Yakubu expressed deep disappointment over what he described as “perpetual exclusion” from the affairs of the council, despite his dedication to the party and office.
“I have served as Vice Chairman of Ogoja Local Government a position afforded me by our great party, the APC with all my power, might, finances, and emotions,” Yakubu wrote. “It is regrettable that my supporters and I have perpetually been kept out in the scheme of things.”
Yakubu outlined several grievances, including being sidelined from critical decision-making processes, being denied access to his official residence, and not receiving reimbursement for personal expenses incurred while renovating his office. He also accused Chairman Agbeh of verbal abuse and failing to hold statutory executive council (EXCO) meetings.
He recalled an incident involving the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in which he was invited to chair a refugee irrigation project committee—a function he claimed was within his official purview. However, after briefing the chairman on the development, Yakubu alleged that he was publicly scolded in the presence of visitors, prompting him to instruct UNHCR to direct all future communications to the chairman instead.
In what appears to be a deeply personal betrayal, the Vice Chairman further accused the chairman of refusing to refund payments made on his behalf for electoral documentation and personal loans. He added that his attempts to resign in the past were discouraged by the state’s Deputy Governor.
Yakubu also highlighted his efforts in strengthening the APC at the grassroots, particularly in Urban Ward II, where he claimed to have engineered major defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with little or no support from the party leadership.
“The defections were so intense that the leader of the PDP, Senator Jarigbe Agom, became worried and was almost counting out Urban Ward II as his stronghold,” he noted. “Sustaining a political structure is very expensive, and the APC leadership is doing nothing to support that.”
Despite his resignation from the party, Yakubu expressed support for the administration of Governor Bassey Edet Otu, stating his continued commitment to delivering electoral success for the governor, regardless of his next political affiliation.
“I will not, for my own selfish interest, allow my followers to continue to suffer perpetual neglect,” he concluded.
As of the time of this report, the APC leadership in Ogoja and Hon. Chris Agbeh have yet to respond to the allegations.
