Jarigbe, Ayade Feud Threatens Unity as Constitutional War Brews

The political terrain in Cross River North has been violently reshaped, turning the dominant All Progressives Congress (APC) into a battleground for two of the state’s most powerful figures: incumbent Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe and former Governor Professor Ben Ayade. Jarigbe’s recent defection to the APC has set the stage for a bruising internal primary contest for the 2027 senatorial ticket, where the key to victory may not be popularity, but party rules.

The brewing storm is centered on the proposed amendments to the APC constitution, which the “foundation members” are fiercely pushing to use as a shield against political newcomers, a move that directly targets both Jarigbe and Ayade.

The crux of the matter is that the foundation members are demanding that the party’s constitution be amended to include a clause that favors older, loyal members for elective and appointive positions. The successful inclusion of such a proviso would fundamentally disadvantage both Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, who just defected from the PDP, and former Governor Ben Ayade, who led a mass defection into the APC in 2020. Both men, despite their political stature, would be classified as “new joiners” compared to the party’s original stalwarts.

If the amendment is approved: Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe may face a mandatory period of residency or a political restriction that prevents him from contesting for the senate seat immediately under the APC platform in 2027. His recent jump from the PDP to the APC, while strategically vital for the ruling party, could be undermined by the internal rules designed to reward longevity. Professor Ben Ayade, who lost the senatorial primary in 2023 and is widely expected to seek the ticket again in 2027, would also be vulnerable. Though he defected earlier than Jarigbe, the foundation members view his faction as having overrun the original structure, and the proposed rule is their tool to claw back control.

The State APC Chairman, Barrister Alphonsus Ogar Eba, is caught in the middle. As the South-South representative on the Constitution Review Committee, his influence will be crucial, yet he is himself a key ally of the Ayade camp and a former defector. His promise to acknowledge the grievances of the foundation members confirms that the constitutional debate is, in reality, a proxy war for the 2027 Cross River North ticket. The result will determine whether the APC prioritizes political evangelism the welcoming of strong defectors like Jarigbe or internal democracy and reward for loyalty.

The electoral consequences of this rivalry are clear. A bitter primary election contest between the Jarigbe and Ayade factions is almost certain to result in severe in-fighting, generating bitterness and anti-party activities among the losers and their supporters. This internal warfare will likely lead to a splintering of votes and mass disenfranchisement among the APC base, significantly weakening the party’s cohesion at the grassroots level.

This scenario offers a golden opportunity for the decimated PDP to recapture the Cross River North Senatorial District. Despite having lost its former “livewire” in Jarigbe, the PDP can easily consolidate the votes of disaffected APC members who feel betrayed or excluded by the primary process. In the 2023 election, Jarigbe won the senatorial seat while running as the sole strong opposition candidate, demonstrating that the district is highly competitive and susceptible to internal APC divisions.

Ultimately, the APC leadership in Cross River State must recognize that while acquiring political giants like Jarigbe and Ayade strengthens the party on paper, the failure to resolve their inevitable clash over the 2027 ticket potentially through a contested constitutional amendment will turn their biggest assets into electoral liabilities, paving a clear path for an opposition victory. The choice is now between internal peace and unity for a common goal, or a chaotic primary that hands the senatorial seat back to the PDP.