Members of the Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday stormed the party secretariat with various placards, protesting alleged plans to reinstate the ousted state chairman of the party.

It was gathered that the protest was carried out by the ward and local government chapters of the PDP across the state.

The protesters, armed with placards with various inscriptions, threatened to leave the party should the removed chairman, Mr. Venatius Ikem, be reinstated.

Some of the placards read: ‘Ikem must go’, ‘All ward and local government chapters rejects Vena’, and, ‘The decision of the Cross River State Working Committee (SWC) is the best for the party’.

According to the protesters, who were led by the Calabar Municipality chairman, Mr Bassey Asuquo, the removal of Ikem was the best thing to have happened to the party.

Asuquo said that the party faithful no longer wanted Ikem as the party chairman. His leadership had stagnated the growth of the party in Cross River, he added.

“We the chapter leadership across the state are in support of anything, including the removal of anyone, that will make the party grow.

“The national leadership should let Ikem go for the good of PDP in Cross River. If Ikem is not removed, we will leave the party for him,” he stated.

On his part, Chief Dennis Nkiri, deputy state chairman of the party, who received the protesters, assured them that the right thing would be done for the growth of the party.

Similarly, Mr. Mike Ojisi, state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, said: “We want Jonah to be removed from the boat for it not to sink.”

Recall that the State WorkC of the party had, a fortnight ago, removed Ikem over allegations of financial misappropriation, high-handedness, and ineptitude.

On his part, the ousted chairman had described his removal as unconstitutional and threatened legal action.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has responded to allegations from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors regarding manipulation of the 2024 Edo State governorship election.

During a recent two-day meeting in Jos, Plateau State, the PDP governors claimed that electoral irregularities prevented the party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, from winning in Edo.

The PDP governors also accused INEC of rigging in the recent Ondo election.

They alleged that INEC altered results to benefit the APC and urged the judiciary and lawmakers to enhance electoral laws to combat what they referred to as “institutional sabotage of the will of the people”.

In response, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, called the allegations “unfortunate and inappropriate,” emphasizing that INEC, as a law-abiding body, cannot comment on ongoing court matters.

Oyekanmi criticized the PDP governors for engaging in a “media trial”, encouraging them to present their evidence in court instead of making unsubstantiated claims publicly.

He pointed out that the PDP has filed a petition at the tribunal to contest the Edo State governorship election results, suggesting they should provide their evidence there.

Regarding the Ondo State election, Oyekanmi defended INEC’s performance, labeling it one of the best elections conducted by the Commission.

He urged political parties to adopt a spirit of sportsmanship, stating, “It is not healthy to accept the outcome of an election only when you win.”

The electoral body had declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Edo election with 291,667 votes, with the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, securing 247,274 votes. Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata came third with 22,761 votes.

Similarly, in Ondo, INEC declared Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the governorship election that was held on Nov 14 defeating the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate Agboola Ajayi, and Olorunfemi Festus of the Labour Party.

Bassey Akiba, the representative for Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has officially switched from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akiba, who also serves as the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare Services, announced his defection on Friday, citing alignment with the APC’s vision and leadership as a key factor in his decision.

Akiba expressed gratitude to his former party but emphasized that his move to the APC was driven by a desire to better serve his constituents and contribute to the nation’s development.

The Labour Party has yet to release an official statement regarding Akiba’s defection, but insiders suggest the move may prompt a reevaluation of its strategy in the region.

With Akiba’s defection, the APC continues to strengthen its presence in the South-South geopolitical zone, a region traditionally dominated by opposition parties.