February 15, 2026
The Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has come under criticism after including the name of a deceased retired military officer and a serving Supreme Court justice on its official stakeholders’ invitation list for an upcoming party meeting.
SUNTV Global Channel gathered that the controversial list was issued ahead of a pre-congress stakeholders’ briefing scheduled for Monday, February 16, 2026, with Governor Bassey Edet Otu at the Calabar International Convention Centre.
Dead General, Serving Justice Listed
Among those named as key stakeholders in Obudu Local Government Area was Major General Edward Unimna (Rtd.), who reportedly died in March 2025 after a brief illness.
Also included was Hon. Justice Emmanuel Agim Akomaye, a sitting justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria — a development that has raised concerns about the appropriateness of listing an active judicial officer in a partisan political gathering.
Justice Akomaye is a highly experienced jurist who previously served in The Gambia between 2000 and 2012 in several senior roles, including Director of Public Prosecutions, Justice and President of the Court of Appeal, and Chief Justice. He later served on the Supreme Court of Swaziland before returning to Nigeria, where he was elevated to the Supreme Court bench in November 2020.
Invitation Details
In the official release signed by state APC chairman Ntufam Ekum Ekok Ojogu, the party said the meeting would bring together “critical stakeholders” from all 18 local government areas of the state.
The notice also stated that only invited individuals would be allowed access to the meeting venue.
More Controversial Names
Further checks revealed additional contentious inclusions. In Calabar South, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Offiong E. Offiong, appeared on the list, while Professor Francisca Bassey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cross River State, was listed under Akpabuyo LGA.
Political observers note that university administrators traditionally serve as neutral returning officers during elections, making their presence on a partisan stakeholders’ list unusual.
In Abi LGA, a serving Chief Magistrate, David Edogi, was also listed, while Professor Peter Oti was reportedly assigned to a different local government area from his origin.
Growing Questions
The inclusion of a deceased individual, judicial officers, and top academic officials has triggered questions about the credibility of the compilation process and concerns over possible violations of institutional neutrality.
As of the time of filing this report, the Cross River APC had not issued any official clarification regarding the controversial entries.
