There are emerging indications that the immediate past chairman of the APC in Cross River State, Alphonsus Eba, who announced his defection to the PDP on Thursday, may emerge the running mate to Arthur Jarvis ahead of the governorship election in the state.
Eba, popular for the introduction of political evangelism in the state, resigned his membership of the APC on May 7, even though he chose to make it public one week later. He is from the northern senatorial district of the state and a close ally of the immediate past governor, Senator Ben Ayade.
Sources told TNN that Eba has been considered the fit and proper person to run with Jarvis, who is tipped to fly the flag of the PDP in the state, against the sitting governor, Senator Bassey Otu.
A combination of Jarvis, from the south, and Eba is seen as the likely tonic that would unsettle the APC in the state, especially as many aggrieved persons are now dumping the APC by the day.
In announcing his movement out of the APC,mEba said: “In obedience to will of our people and in total submission to my inner heart, guided by the direction of Almighty God, I have reflected and reexamined my mission on earth – a clear mission to fulfill destiny.
“My incursion into politics in 1991 in SDP during the 3rd Republic and in 1996 in UNCP in the aborted 4th Republic and in PDP in 1999 in the 4th Republic with a short detour to NDP in 2023, ANPP in 2011 , before my return to PDP in 2012 and later APC in 2021 , points to the incontrovertible fact that political parties are indispensable vehicles to drive the democratic process since the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not provide for Independent candidates
“What has however remained fundamentally constant in my political life is the grace of God upon me which is loaded in the superabundant gifts of Hardwork, Humility, Honesty, Courage, Capacity, Competence , Confidence, Contentment, Gratitude and Intrepidity.
“Armed with the above qualities, I have always viewed my political mission as nothing more than Service to God and humanity.
“The great Philosopher, Socrates once said, ‘’An unexamined life is not worth living’’. I have therefore had to reflect on my last 10 years in public service , first as Director General of Due Process and Price Intelligence Bureau, Cross River State and later as Cross River State Chairman of APC . In both offices, reputedly, I left indelible marks in Governance and the party administration which has been highly acknowledged even by our worst critics.
“I have also reflected on the goodwill I enjoyed from our people across party lines and the unprovoked ill treatment meted to me and several leaders / followers by a system we worked so hard to install.
“But in all of these, our gratitude to God in Heaven , our political godfathers , godsons and all whose prayers, supports and kind wishes saw us through will never be forgotten. It is on record that , we decided to let go the unwarranted and unprovoked treatment meted to us and even when I have maintained a stoic and dignified silence, our silence was interpreted as cowardice.
“Even when we overlooked the illegal suspension and expulsion by my colleagues at the State Executive Committee of APC and the desperate dissolution of my leadership at the APC NEC on the 19th of December 2025 , which was just a decoy to remove me from office in flagrant disobedience of a subsisting Order of Court in my favour ; and despite keeping away from every APC activities and the attendant humiliation meted to me and my supporters from the ward to the state level ; even when I have since returned to my private legal practice in Abuja and quietly facing my farm work / other private businesses and having more time with my family, I cannot understand while a system I worked so hard in conjunction with other leaders to install have chosen the wicked path to perpetually silent my voice, completely make me irrelevant and have vowed to retire me from politics even at this young age of 50 when I still have a lot to offer my people, state and Nation.
“The intimidation and attack against me and my people and other persons who are non aligned with the system, has given me serious concerns and cause to worry about our collective future under this present democratic experience in our dear State.
“In the face of the unfolding quandary, I have looked up to God for direction, I have listened to the cries of my sincere supporters , whose loyalty especially in the last six (6) months of my political travails have been unwavering .
“I have had an appraisal over the invitation from the leadership of 3 different opposition political parties requesting us to commune and strengthen opposition political parties in Cross River State with a view to providing alternative platforms or a unified platform that can assist in holding the system to conform to the tenets of democracy and good governance.
“I have also listened to my inner heart and I have no option but to agree with the words of William Shakespeare in Julius Caesar where he stated , ‘’There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and miseries; On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves; or lose our ventures.”
