Hot Source100 memoranda were submitted in Calabar on Tuesday as critical stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-South zone held the first public hearing on the amendment of the party’s national constitution.
The session, hosted in Cross River State, drew representatives of APC governors, state chairmen, and legal advisers from all five South-South states except Rivers, which is yet to be fully integrated into the ruling party’s structure.
Non-executive stakeholders and party loyalists also participated, pushing for reforms to strengthen internal democracy and ensure inclusiveness within the APC.
Chairman of the Cross River State APC, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba, who presided over the hearing and represents the zone on the constitution amendment committee, said President Bola Tinubu had directed the review to accommodate the party’s expanding membership base.
Eba disclosed that similar zonal hearings will hold across the country, with the next session scheduled for Katsina in the North-West.
“President Tinubu called for this review to create more room for women, youths, and persons with disabilities,” he said.
“The aim is to build a constitution that will serve the party effectively for many years to come.”
He noted that 10 of the 100 memoranda originated from Cross River State and would be harmonised with inputs from other geopolitical zones before a final draft is presented to the national leadership.
APC National Vice Chairman for the South-South, Chief Victor Giadom, described the constitution as the “cornerstone of the party’s internal democracy,” stressing that it defines the rights, powers, and limitations of members and leaders.
“It is not just a framework,” he said, “but a living testament to our collective values, justice, and commitment to the rule of law.”
Representing Governor Bassey Otu at the event, Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, said the exercise was crucial to safeguard individual liberties and strengthen the APC’s democratic foundations.
“For us to build a stronger APC that will endure for the next 50 years and beyond,” Ayambem said, “members must continue to make meaningful contributions to its constitution and growth.”
