Ogoja Bans Public Gatherings Ahead Yakubu’s Planned Defection to ADC
By Emmanuel AGBOR
The Ogoja Local Government Council in Cross River State has imposed an immediate ban on public gatherings and large crowd meetings, a decision that has heightened political tension in the area amid unfolding developments within the council.
The directive, contained in a Public Service Statement dated January 5, 2026, was issued by the Office of the Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Chairman of Ogoja Local Government Council. The council cited the need to maintain public order and ensure public safety.
According to the statement signed by Hon. Sonnie Okem, Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, all public gatherings within Ogoja Local Government Area are suspended unless prior approval is obtained from the Executive Chairman. The statement warned that individuals or groups found violating the directive would be prosecuted in accordance with the law. Residents were urged to cooperate, as the measure was described as necessary to preserve peace, order and stability.
However, the timing of the ban has drawn political scrutiny. The action is widely viewed as a calculated attempt to frustrate the planned public defection of the former Vice Chairman of the council, Hon. Emmanuel Idi Yakubu, to the African Democratic Congress ADC, as well as to preempt the anticipated large turnout driven by his grassroots popularity and the sympathy generated by his prolonged political ordeal.
The development comes amid heightened political tension in Ogoja following a protracted leadership crisis involving Yakubu, who was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress APC. His tenure was marked by a bitter rift with the Executive Chairman, exposing deep cracks within the local council administration.
Before his resignation, Yakubu had accused the council leadership of marginalisation, exclusion from key decision making processes, alleged verbal abuse and failure to refund personal funds he claimed to have expended on official duties. The crisis escalated amid reported moves to impeach him, which he linked to internal power struggles within the APC and his loyalty to rival factions opposed to the current state party leadership.
Despite calls by party stakeholders for restraint and reconciliation, tensions persisted and continued to fuel political uncertainty within the local government area.
The standoff eventually culminated in Yakubu’s resignation as Vice Chairman of Ogoja Local Government and his formal defection to the African Democratic Congress ADC, citing irreconcilable differences and loss of confidence in the APC’s internal democracy.
His exit has since altered the political landscape in Ogoja, raising fresh questions about party cohesion, leadership tolerance and the shifting dynamics of grassroots politics in Cross River State.
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