By Edem Ekpo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State has been thrown into fresh turmoil following sharp divisions over the tenure of its State Working Committee (SWC) led by Barr. Venatius Ikem.
While the State Caucus, in a communiqué issued after its Abuja meeting of August 31, 2025, endorsed Ikem and his team for another four years in office, the Southern Senatorial District Caucus has kicked against the move, describing it as “unconstitutional” and “divisive.”
The Abuja meeting, attended by top party leaders including Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, Senator Sandy Onor, former Deputy Governor Effiok Cobham, and House of Representatives member Godwin Offiono, argued that continuity at the state and local government levels was critical to stabilizing the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. It also introduced accountability measures, directing LGAs unhappy with their representatives to initiate replacements and mandating that defected members be immediately substituted.
But in a swift pushback, the Southern Caucus convened at AdSuit Hotel in Calabar on September 2, 2025, and dismissed the Abuja resolution. Presided over by the State Vice Chairman (South), Hon. Asuquo Ekpo, the gathering condemned Ikem’s leadership as “riddled with conflicts and divisive tendencies,” warning that extending his tenure would only deepen the party’s cracks.
The Southern bloc, which had in attendance Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, Ntufam Ekpo Okon, State Deputy Chairman Denis Nkiri, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria Mba Ukweni, resolved instead to fully back the September 27 State Congress fixed by the PDP national leadership. It further announced the adoption of state offices zoned to the South in line with party guidelines and urged LGAs to nominate their most competent representatives to avoid a repeat of the 2023 electoral losses.
Both factions, however, agreed on one point: the need for stronger unity and grassroots mobilisation if the PDP is to reclaim power in Cross River and play a decisive role in 2027. Yet with duelling communiqués and deepening rifts, the battle for the control of the state chapter now looms large, setting the stage for a tense congress later this month.