Senator Eteng Denies Reports of Mending Fences Regarding APC Nomination

Scheduled to appear in court, Senator Eteng Williams, representing Cross River Central, has formally denied withdrawing his lawsuit against Oden Ewa, who was declared the winner of the APC Senatorial ticket for the Cross River Central district.

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The Senator's denial was made on Tuesday, in response to claims that he had given up his contention for the ticket and withdrawn the court case in an Abuja High Court.

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A recent reconciliation meeting, convened by Governor Bassey Otu at the residence of Cross River State Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Odey, reportedly aimed to settle the dispute between Senator Eteng Jonah Williams and Oden Ewa over the ticket.

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Dr Peter Odey announced on Monday that the meeting had resolved the disagreement, with all parties agreeing to withdraw their court cases related to the disputed APC primary.

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The Deputy Governor subsequently urged party members and supporters to unite behind Oden Ewa ahead of the forthcoming election, but this call has been met with resistance from Senator Williams' camp.

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A supporter of the Senator, Mr Emmanuel Ikpi, has dismissed the claims of a resolution as inaccurate, stating that discussions remain at a preliminary stage and that the Senator has not withdrawn his legal challenge.

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Ikpi described reports suggesting that Williams had abandoned the lawsuit as "propaganda" aimed at forcing acceptance of the outcome of the party primary, which he claims cannot withstand the provisions of the law and the amended Electoral Act.

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According to Ikpi, the Senator was urged to withdraw all court cases arising from the primary election at the end of the resolution meeting, but this was not a binding agreement, and the Senator did not promise to do so.

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Ikpi further stated that the meeting merely opened the door for dialogue and did not produce any resolution or binding agreement on the disputed senatorial ticket.

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The Senator has also refuted impressions created by photographs circulating on social media, where he and Ewa were seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder, claiming that no photographs were taken during the recent meeting and that the images being shared were from an unrelated event held in 2025.

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The controversy surrounding the APC senatorial primary has further deepened divisions within the party in Cross River Central, where the outcome of the primary has remained a subject of intense disagreement among party stakeholders.