Mixed reactions have continued to trail the release of a stakeholders’ list by the All Progressives Congress (APC), Cross River State chapter, ahead of its scheduled pre-congress meeting with Governor Bassey Edet Otu.
The meeting, billed to hold on Monday, February 16, 2026, at the Calabar International Convention Centre, was announced in a statement dated February 14 and signed by the state chairman, Ntufam Ekum Ekok Ojogu.
According to the statement titled “APC Stakeholders’ Meeting with the Governor,” the gathering is intended as a pre-congress briefing involving “critical stakeholders across the 18 Local Government Councils,” alongside members of the state caretaker committee and local government party chairmen. The party also warned that only invited persons would be allowed within the meeting venue.
However, the stakeholders’ list attached to the statement has generated debate within political and legal circles, following the inclusion of a retired major general who reportedly died in March 2025 and a serving Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria among invitees.
The name of Major General Edward Unimna (Rtd.), said to have passed away nearly a year ago, appeared under Obudu Local Government Area. Observers described the development as an oversight that has raised questions about the party’s internal documentation process.
Reacting to the controversy, a public affairs commentator, Akomaye Ebi, described the situation as “avoidable and embarrassing.”
“When a political party of that magnitude releases an official list containing the name of a deceased person, it naturally attracts public concern. It suggests that the document may not have undergone thorough review before publication,” Ebi said.
Similarly, political analyst Bassey Bassey noted that the inclusion of a serving Supreme Court justice in a partisan stakeholders’ meeting could spark ethical questions.
“The judiciary is expected to maintain neutrality. Even if it was an error, such a listing can create unnecessary controversy. Political parties must pay closer attention to the sensitivities surrounding public offices,” Bassey stated.
While some party supporters have downplayed the issue as a clerical error, others argue that the development reflects lapses in coordination within the state chapter of the ruling party.
As of press time, the Cross River APC leadership had not issued any official clarification regarding the controversial names on the list. Efforts to obtain comments from party officials were unsuccessful.
Political watchers say the party may need to address the matter promptly to prevent further distraction ahead of its internal congresses, which are expected to shape the political landscape in the state.
For many observers, the episode underscores the importance of diligence, accuracy and transparency in political communication, particularly at a time when party structures and leadership arrangements are under close public scrutiny.