By Edem Ekpo
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Venatius Ikem, has accused the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) of orchestrating an illegal plot to dissolve the duly elected state executive committee ahead of the September 27 state congress.
Ikem, in a strongly worded statement on Thursday, described as “unlawful and politically motivated” a press release purportedly issued by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, announcing the dissolution of the state executive and directing a South-South caretaker committee to take charge.
He maintained that the current executive was properly inaugurated on September 29, 2021, and therefore remains in office until September 29, 2025. “This is why the NWC itself fixed September 27 for the state congress. Any attempt to truncate this tenure is an affront to the Constitution of our party,” Ikem stated.
The Cross River PDP boss challenged the NWC to disclose where and when the meeting that allegedly approved the dissolution was held, insisting that social media chats cannot substitute for official party meetings on matters of such gravity.
Ikem further alleged that the move was a calculated attempt to foist an unpopular executive on the party, warning that such abuse of power undermines internal democracy and threatens the stability of the PDP in the state.
Describing the development as “a serial abuse of office,” Ikem called on party members and supporters to remain calm and law-abiding while resisting efforts to derail the progress already achieved under the current leadership.
He vowed that the state executive committee would not yield to “enemies of the party” seeking to exploit the NWC to impose their will, adding that only a properly constituted congress can determine the leadership of the PDP in Cross River State.
The controversy comes barely a week to the scheduled congress, heightening tension within the state chapter as stakeholders await the official response of the national leadership to Ikem’s allegations.