By Joseph Abasi-Abasi

Copyright tribuneonlineng

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River has successfully conducted its state congress under heavy security presence, producing a new executive council to pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years.

The congress, held at the Venetian Arena, Calabar, drew over 1,500 accredited delegates from across the 18 local government areas of the state.

Officials from the National Working Committee (NWC), led by representatives of the National Organising Secretary, supervised the exercise, which party stakeholders described as transparent, peaceful, and credible.

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Announcing the results, the returning officers, Rt Hon Jones Onyeyeri, disclosed that 39 positions were contested with 1,541 total number of accredited delegates.

For the chairmanship position, Mr Venatius Ikem emerged as the winner with overwhelming delegate votes of 1,501, while other strategic offices, such as Deputy Chairman, State Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor, Women Leader, Youth Leader, and a host of assistant positions, were equally filled through the ballot.

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected chairman, Venatius Ikem, lauded the orderly conduct of the congress, noting that the process demonstrated PDP’s resilience and commitment to internal democracy.

“We had a full house of delegates, a proper panel duly certified by the NWC, and everything was done with accountability and transparency. The PDP still has huge momentum in our state, and the future is bright,” he said.

Ikem called on party members to embrace unity and work collectively to reposition the PDP for electoral victory ahead of the 2027 polls. He dismissed claims that his earlier tenure weakened the party, insisting that he had worked to sustain its structure during turbulent times.

“Victory is the ultimate. When you lose, the rest are excuses. This new executive will rethink our vision, correct our mistakes, and move forward stronger,” he added.

Also speaking, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, representing Cross River North, described the exercise as legitimate and binding.

“It is a legitimate congress, the only congress, calm and very organised. The process followed our party’s constitution and cannot be challenged,” he maintained.

Jarigbe stressed that the new leadership comprises capable men and women who will reposition the PDP in the state, adding that earlier disagreements within the party had been resolved internally.

Party elders and stakeholders present at the event urged the new executive to carry all members along, rebuild trust, and mobilise grassroots support as part of efforts to restore PDP’s dominance in Cross River politics.

Present at the Congress are Senator Sandy Onor, Barr Efiom Cobham, Hon Godwin Offiono, Arthur Jarvis Archibong, and others.

After wrapping up the event, PDP leaders stated their confidence that the party is now in a stronger position to take back power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.