Cross River PDP Crisis Deepens As State Financial Secretary Calls for Immediate Resignation of State Party Chairman, Vena Ikem

Cross River PDP Crisis Deepens As State Financial Secretary Calls for Immediate Resignation of State Party Chairman, Vena Ikem

 

 

The internal crisis within the Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened over the weekend as the State Financial Secretary, Chris Edadi, publicly called for the immediate resignation of the party’s State Chairman, Vena Ikem. Edadi’s statement, which has since gone viral, has sent shockwaves through the party’s ranks, raising concerns about the future of the PDP in Cross River State.

 

 

Edadi’s call for Ikem’s resignation was contained in a post shared on CRS PDP Stakeholders Forum WhatsApp platform obtained by NewsWeek Nigeria, where he expressed deep concerns over the state of the party under Ikem’s leadership, accusing him of mismanaging party affairs and prioritizing personal gain over the collective interests of the party.

 

 

In his statement, Edadi highlighted a series of grievances against Ikem, accusing him of being out of touch with the party’s core members and failing to effectively lead the PDP in Cross River State. He described Ikem as being “alone out of fourteen” members of the State Working Committee (SWC), with any public support for him being described as “pretenders” influenced by monetary incentives from another party leader, Hon. Peter Akpanke.

 

 

According to Edadi, Ikem’s tenure has been marred by a lack of effective leadership, with many members of the State Working Committee (SWC) reportedly disillusioned and disenchanted.

 

“Vena Ikem must resign with immediate effect, or we forget about PDP in Cross River,” Edadi declared, underscoring the gravity of the situation. He described Ikem as a leader who has isolated himself from the majority of the SWC, alleging that those who publicly support him do so out of pretension or under external influence. Edadi further accused Ikem of using his position to enrich himself, claiming that the chairman has consistently failed to act in the best interests of the party.

 

Edadi’s statement also criticized Ikem’s handling of recent party activities, including ward and chapter congresses, where he alleged bias and interference.

 

He questioned Ikem’s leadership capabilities, noting that despite holding various significant public offices in the past, Ikem has not completed any tenure successfully.

 

Read the unedited full text of the statement below

 

PDP CR;

WAKE UP NOW OR FORGET IT…e get why!

 

Good morning and happy weekend

My dear party faithfuls and lovers of our dear party PDP.

I choose doing what I am doing today not out of insubordination as it may look like to some without insight but for the soul of this party PDP and for the sake of hundreds of us who have been investing into this party in dedication, their monies and in total loyalty to the party for so long and still believing in our dear party PDP for tomorrow.

Though,most of us have consistently been on the part of encouraging and saying the things that you want to hear to make you feel good, great and hopeful as a party member,but it’s pertinent at this point to tell you the bitter truth or nothing more. Because,is either it’s working or we know is not working at the moment.

 

One may ask,are you the only only one in the SWC under the chairman?. The answer is no,but I can authoritatively say here and I can proof it to the end that the chairman of the party Hon. Vena Ikem is just alone out of fourteen of us and anybody you see standing by him publicly is a big pretender or under the influence of Hon.Peter Akpanke intermittent visit to calabar and the exchange. This is so because on several moves of the SWC and on two occasions by the SEC of the party,he Akpanke will always appear share some 100k or 50k and immediately they form a quorom then it’s over. Infact, nothing matters to him outside his pocket as chairman. Let me reserve my comment at the moment for the sake of the party.

 

Unfortunately, the state we are now is just two ways either Hon.Vena Ikem resign honorably or we forget about the party PDP in cross river state.The idea of leaving till the end of his tenure next year 2025 is a big time waste and unproductive occupancy of the Exco under Vena.

I know most of us may be disappointed on this revelation but at this point there’s nothing we can do than the truth…. let’s fix it and start living as a political party.

 

 

You can’t be a leader that almost everybody is just pretending to be under you but deep down with so much bitterness, frustration, regrets over having him as the chairman and I think this is the right time for the chairman to take a bow and leave the stage and allow the PDP in cross river state to breathe.

 

We are in opposition and the chairman has failed us woefully. Atleast the party has helped him recovered all he couldn’t do as chairman of council of Obudu,SA to Governor, commissioner ( ie when SA’s and commissionership was what it’s not the ones of under Ayade and Otu),SA to the president and equally one time national publicity secretary and finally retrogressively state chairman and who knows his next target maybe be the chapter chairman of Obudu if given the opportunity.

 

So,in all of the above portfolios he has never completed one tenure successfully and those who are forcing him against his trajectory at the detriment of a generation will be the worse heat at the appropriate time, because at the right time, the battle will be the people versus Vena not even the candidate of the party in a protest vote…. Mark my word.

 

 

Infact, even in the just concluded ward and chapter congresses I had with me two strong petitions from the leaderships of the party in eight wards out of ten in Obudu,but nothing was done and you think those people are happy with the party?.We have had similar instance in some other LG where his interference wasn’t a balance approach as an umpire.

 

Atleast the party had helped him open a farm in Biase as a chairman,pay his rent in calabar, have a living house in Obudu, have some cars for himself and have some contacts and even the resources for the birthday preparation is all from being the chairman of PDP in cross river state,but the big question is, what has Hon. Venatius Ikem given in return for the party?

 

 

ThankGod he’s celebrating his 60th days on earth and that is the statutory age of retirement and after sixties what sustain a man’s fame influencial in power is his past legacies and where there’s none then he outrightly become a burden and a liability to the party and his acquaintance, because you can’t expect any from any man without a good past.

 

 

This is where we are now,is either vena resign immediately or he’s force out or we forget PDP in cross river state no two ways about it.

 

 

In cross river state PDP the man at the helm of affairs as a chairman was overrated during our fight with Governor Ayade and the ONLY REASON he was made chairman was because we see him as a man who can fight Ayade and that was the only reason, because his public offices trajectory from local government chairman to commissioner, national publicity secretary, SA to president etc at no point he was proven as an administrator or sense with any leadership qualities,not even one except the element of partial activism which maybe motivated by abject poverty then,but absolutely we are merely pretending having a leader of the party in cross river state,but there’s nothing wrong with the party structures across.

 

 

Otherwise,why should a chairman who was given the position of a state chairman with the eyes of the spirit of opposition become even not just silence but sleeping, because he merely uses the opportunity as chairman to settle his retirement age at the detriment of cross river state future in PDP and most especially we the younger generation in politics who believe too much in PDP. Instead, he’s so over purported and overzealously busy in frivolous and primitive internal issues targeted at members and pursuing small small benefits for his selfish interest while the party suffers more.

 

 

For me, the leadership of the party has failed 200% and any politician banking their hopes in sustaining such a failed leader is not wise enough, because there’s no future political fortunes there… it’s ikabort already.The glory of political prospects is gone long ago

 

 

And until the leadership is gone expect nothing than degrading status.

 

 

 

 

Anybody from same zone can coordinate the state PDP to an enviable height within a short space of time to complete the tenure,but maintaining the status quo is a waste of time and resources as politicians, lovers and well-wishers of our dear party PDP.

 

 

 

 

I tell you, cross river state PDP stance tall amidst APC total failure even in the forthcoming local government elections,but who will lead us?

 

 

 

 

There’s no point wasting people destiny, you have failed woefully, resign honorably and go and enjoy your personal gains acquired at the detriment of the PDP in cross river state under your watch.

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to all the new wards and chapter Exco in cross river state.

 

 

 

 

E get why

 

Thanks

 

My name is Chris Edadi.

 

State financial secretary.

 

Cross river

 

20-08-2024.