A leadership crisis has engulfed the African Democratic Congress in Cross River State after the Independent National Electoral Commission uploaded Mrs Nkoyo Toyo, former Nigerian ambassador to Ethiopia, as the party’s governorship candidate. John Ogar, who chairs one of the warring factions, immediately dismissed Toyo as an imposter on Wednesday.
The controversy stems from parallel primary elections and disputed leadership at both state and national levels. Ogar’s camp, calling itself the Legacy Group, insists that both the High Court and Court of Appeal have annulled the exercises that produced Toyo. They’ve awarded substantial costs against her faction.
Why did INEC proceed with the upload despite pending litigation? That question remains unanswered as both factions dig in.
Dr Effiong Nyong, the governorship candidate from Ogar’s Legacy Group, said they’ve escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. He expressed confidence that the apex court will rule in their favour next week and chart a clear path forward.
Toyo’s group denies acting surreptitiously. They claim Ogar’s faction deliberately concealed a stay of execution they filed at the Court of Appeal, though both sides accuse each other of delaying tactics. The judicial tangle threatens to undermine ADC’s chances in Cross River’s gubernatorial race.
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