Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party has called on the police in Cross River State to act professionally and refrain from colluding with members of the All Progressives Congress in their attempts to blackmail him. The senator, who defeated Governor Ben Ayade of the APC to win the Cross River North senatorial seat, said that despite the APC’s crushing defeat in the district, party members continue to try to tarnish his image and reputation.
Speaking to the press in his office on Monday, Senator Jarigbe appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, to end what he described as a “show of shame” in Cross River State, where losing candidates are allegedly seeking to disparage the winner. He specifically called for the arrest of the state APC chairman, Alphonsus Eba, and demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged misconduct of DCP Francis Idu and the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Irene Ugbo.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission declared my party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and myself the winners of the Cross River North Senatorial District election held on 25 February 2023,” the senator said. “We secured 76,145 votes, while the APC candidate, the sitting governor H.E. Benedict Ayade, received 56,595 votes—a clear margin of 19,550 votes. Our people made it abundantly clear that I was their choice.” He added that DCP Francis Idu, who is allegedly under the patronage of the state government, is abusing his office by assisting Alphonsus Eba in filing frivolous petitions against him and other respected indigenes of Cross River North.
Jarigbe noted it is “a wonder of the criminal world” that a man caught on camera disrupting the collation of results at an INEC centre would now be filing frivolous petitions against the senator, when he should instead face charges for electoral offences. He cited a video showing police parading individuals accused of electoral violence during the recent presidential and National Assembly elections on 25 February 2023, highlighting what he called a “shameless alliance” between Alphonsus Eba and certain police elements.
During the parade, Force PPRO CSP Irene Ugbo allegedly suggested, in a manner bordering on criminal unprofessionalism, that the senator had been invited to answer questions related to the arrests. Jarigbe argued that this statement had no basis in the suspects’ written statements. “It is a sad day when our security agents ignore overwhelming evidence against a political party and its chairman, who attempted to disrupt a peaceful election, yet act on frivolous petitions to impugn the character of a senator re‑elected by his people, fair and square,” he said.
The senator concluded by urging the Inspector General of Police to use his authority to immediately halt the “show of shame” unfolding in Cross River State.
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