Despite internal squabbles and past election losses, Venatius Ikem has been elected again as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in Cross River State, promising to return the state to the PDP fold in 2027.
Ikem garnered 1,504 votes at the party congress on Saturday in Calabar. He vowed not to let the delegates down, promising to serve with commitment and dedication.
The state caucus affirmed his re-election as a step towards continuity and stability prior to the ensuing general elections. Critics, however, attributed his leadership, pointing finger at him for a poor performance in the elections and accused him of fraternizing with APC members.
Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, PDP state chairman, called on aggrieved members to shelve their grievances and come together towards the success of the party in 2027.
Though some of the stakeholders had protested against the re-election of Ikem and once suspended him for alleged mismanagement of funds, the party’s national leadership defended his mandate.
The party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Prof. Sandy Onor, also called for unity, asserting that PDP cannot afford to be divided if it must reoccupy its rightful place in the state.
The congress, which witnessed a high turnout of delegates across all 18 local government areas, also elected 38 state executive officials.
