A fresh Cross River tax dispute has emerged after the Cross River State Government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, exchanged accusations over an alleged tax investigation involving his privately owned university. Archibong accused the state government of using tax enforcement to intimidate opposition politicians, an allegation the government has firmly rejected.
Speaking with journalists in Calabar on Friday, Archibong alleged that the state government was preparing to target Arthur Jarvis University in Akpabuyo Local Government Area through what he described as unfounded tax claims. The institution, recognised as the first private university in Cross River State, employs more than 500 workers and provides scholarships to about 300 students. According to the PDP governorship candidate, any action against the university would negatively affect education and employment in the state.
Archibong claimed the proposed audit of the university’s tax records was politically motivated and intended to weaken opposition voices ahead of the 2027 governorship election. He said he had made repeated efforts over the past three years to secure a meeting with Governor Bassey Otu without success.
“The government should be supportive of private investors and not make things difficult for them, given their role as major employers in society,” he said.
Archibong maintained that the university had fully complied with its tax obligations, including the payment of the state’s annual high-net-worth tax of N1 million. According to him, the institution had consistently received tax clearance certificates, which he said reflected its compliance with applicable tax laws.
He described the planned tax audit as “funny” and “insulting,” arguing that it appeared to be an act of retaliation against him as an opposition candidate. The allegation comes only days after the residence of his running mate, Alphonsus Eba, in the Water Board Estate area, was marked for demolition.
Reacting to the claims, Cross River State Commissioner for Information, Erasmus Ekpang, dismissed the allegations of political persecution. He stated that tax compliance is a legal responsibility that applies equally to every citizen, regardless of political affiliation. Ekpang advised Archibong and the PDP not to interpret routine government actions as political victimisation.
“You cannot benefit from a system and then refuse to comply with its requirements,” the commissioner said.
He also insisted that governance would continue irrespective of political developments, adding that neither Archibong nor his running mate could obstruct government activities. The Cross River tax dispute has added to growing political tensions in the state ahead of the 2027 governorship election. While Archibong insists the proposed tax audit is aimed at intimidating the opposition, the state government maintains that its actions are part of the normal enforcement of tax laws and not politically motivated.
