Cross River PDP Returns Venatius Ikem As Chairman, Elects Other Exco Members

The Cross River State president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Barr. Venatius Ikem, has been reelected for a 2nd word of 4 years.

Venatius Ikem was reelected alongside 38 different members of the State Executive Council of the enactment during the 2025 State Congress of the party, held connected September 27, 2025, astatine the Venetian Arena on the Murtala Mohammed Highway, Calabar.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) successful Cross River State, Dr Johnson Alalibo Sinikem, led the electoral committee to observe the State Congress alongside different statutory bodies similar the Police, NSCDC and DSS.

In his code to delegates, president of the Electoral Panel for the congress, Hon. Jones Chukwudi, acknowledged the beingness of statutory institutions required nether electoral guidelines, which see INEC, Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Department of State Services (DSS).

He said; “For each election, according to the electoral guidelines, determination are statutory institutions that indispensable beryllium present. The archetypal is INEC, and INEC is here. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) is here. Others present contiguous are the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Services, and members of the Press, to show the processes and marque definite that it’s successful enactment with the electoral guidelines.”

He aboriginal declared Barr. Venatius Ikem re-elected arsenic State Chairman with 1,541 votes, alongside 38 different members of the SEC.

In his acceptance speech, Barr. Ikem promised that the caller executives would absorption connected rebuilding the enactment and strengthening its structures up of aboriginal elections.

“With each the experiences we person gathered and the humility conferred connected america today, we pledge to bash overmuch better. Moving forward, we are going to situation immoderate of the issues that bedevilled our past expedition and statesman the process of rebuilding successful bid to enactment our location together.”

Speaking to journalists aft the congress, erstwhile governorship campaigner of the party, Senator Prof. Sandy Ojang Onor, described the process arsenic a exemplary of transparency.

“All the indispensable ingredients for the behaviour of elections were contiguous present today. We had a afloat location of delegates, a due sheet duly certified by the National Working Committee (NWC), statutory institutions successful compliance with the electoral guidelines, and everything was done with accountability and transparency.”

He added that the turnout reflected the PDP’s beardown beingness successful the state

“We are gladsome and happy. You tin spot that the PDP inactive has a immense momentum successful our state, and the aboriginal is precise beauteous and promising,” helium said.

Also speaking, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, representing Cross River North Senatorial District, hailed the legislature for adhering strictly to the rules, urging the re-elected enactment to prioritize reconciliation wrong the party.

His words; “I’m impressed that we followed each owed processes successful accordance with the electoral guidelines for the behaviour of congresses. The mode guardant is for america to enactment unneurotic successful bid to execute occurrence successful 2027; this would beryllium made easier arsenic soon arsenic the Exco initiates due reconciliation processes and works arsenic a team.”

Apart from Senators Sandy Onor and Jarigbe Agom, different PDP leaders astatine the legislature were erstwhile Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Barr. Efiok Cobham, erstwhile Governorship Aspirant, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, House of Representatives subordinate representating Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, Barr. Godwin Offiono, erstwhile House of Representatives subordinate representing Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Federal Constituency, Hon. Eta Mbora, erstwhile House of Reps Aspirant for Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency, Barr. Bassey O. Bassey,  among others.