The Chairman of the Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Christopher Etta, has dismissed allegations that the state government is imposing excessive taxes on a private university owned by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, describing the claims as unsubstantiated.

Etta made the remarks on Monday during an interactive session with journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Calabar, where he addressed a range of political issues, including conduct of the party congresses and primaries.

He was responding to allegations by Archibong that the Cross River State Government had deliberately imposed heavy tax assessments on his university to frustrate its operations because of his political affiliation.

The APC chairman maintained that tax-related disputes are not unusual but argued that they should be resolved through documentary evidence rather than public accusations.

Hon. Etta explain that the university’s management should make its tax records available for public scrutiny to enable an objective assessment of the controversy.

“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,” Etta said.

He urged journalists and media organisations to obtain official tax documents before reporting the matter, insisting that facts and verified records would provide a clearer understanding of the dispute than political statements.

Etta also criticised a diaspora commentator, identified as Portrait Peterson, accusing him of making inaccurate claims about political developments in Cross River State despite living outside the country.

“You cannot live abroad and be knowing how the chairs in the house in another country are placed. You live in London and I have red chairs in my house, yet you are telling the whole world that my chairs are blue. He is just mouthing what his paymasters want him to mouth,” he said.

Speaking on internal party democracy, Etta argued that political parties should not arbitrarily prevent aspirants from contesting elective positions based on subjective assessments of their appearance, eloquence or perceived competence.

He explained that denying qualified members the opportunity to participate in party primaries could be interpreted as an infringement on their constitutional rights.

The APC chairman further noted that excessive screening of aspirants would expose political parties to accusations of manipulating the democratic process.

On the controversy surrounding the planned demolition of structures on the State Water Board land, Etta rejected claims that the exercise was targeted at opposition figures to weaken them.

He described the demolition as a routine administrative exercise aimed at enforcing compliance with government regulations rather than a politically motivated action.

Hon. Etta said, the operation affects both members of the ruling APC and opposition parties, making allegations of selective enforcement misleading.

Etta disclosed that a significant number of the affected property owners are members of the APC, a fact he said contradicts claims that the government is targeting opposition supporters.

“On the issue of demolition, I’m surprised that you are now turning into the echo chamber of the opposition. Because if you are not, you would have realized that even APC members’ houses are also marked.”

He continued: “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.”

The APC chairman again called on journalists to independently verify official records before publishing allegations, stressing that accurate reporting should be based on facts rather than political narratives.

“The issue there is not about demolition. The issue is our standings. Proper investigation will reveal whether the action was purely political or simply government carrying out its responsibilities,” he stated.

Etta reiterating that transparency, documentary evidence and responsible journalism remain essential in resolving contentious public issues, while urging stakeholders to separate political rhetoric from verifiable facts, and called for fact checking journalism.