The Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied allegations that the state government imposed excessive taxes on private universities linked to opposition figures for political reasons.
The party said tax assessments in the state are based on due process and not political considerations.
State APC Chairman, Christopher Etta, made the clarification on Tuesday during an interactive session with journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Calabar.
Etta was reacting to claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 governorship candidate in the state, Arthur Jarvis Archibong, who alleged that his privately owned university was subjected to heavy tax assessments because of his political affiliation.
Describing the allegation as unsubstantiated, Etta said tax matters should be resolved through official records and documentary evidence rather than public accusations.
He challenged the university management to provide its tax records, including previous payments and current assessments, for proper verification.
“If you ask him to show you his record, based on what he ought to pay, what he actually paid and what he has to pay based on the assessments, I’m sure that his theory will fall,” he said.
The APC chairman urged journalists to verify tax documents before reporting such allegations, insisting that facts and authenticated records would provide a clearer picture of the issue.
On claims that the planned demolition of structures on State Water Board land was targeted at opposition members, Etta dismissed the allegation, saying the exercise affected both APC members and opposition supporters.
He said many of those affected were members of the ruling party, adding that the exercise could not be described as politically motivated.
“Maybe one or two opposition houses are marked, but several APC members’ houses are marked. From what was published, 80 per cent of those on that list are APC members,” he said.
Etta also criticised a diaspora commentator, identified as Portrait Peterson, over comments he described as inaccurate on political developments in the state.
Speaking on internal party democracy, the APC chairman said political parties should not prevent qualified aspirants from contesting elective positions, arguing that doing so could undermine democratic principles.