Vena Ikem, Other APC Stalwarts To Return To PDP

By Ushang Ewa

Information reaching CrossRiverWatch suggests that a former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP and 2019 gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress APC, Mr. Venatius Ikem, may likely return to the PDP in the coming week.

Mr. Ikem defected to the All Progressives Congress in 2016 and declared his intention to run for the 2019 gubernatorial elections.

However, sources in his camp told CrossRiverWatch that he, alongside several others in northern Cross River grew frustrated and tired of the party as they were not compensated despite spending huge resources to finance the party in the run up to the 2015 general polls.

CrossRiverWatch also gathered that Mr. Ikem as well as others chieftains of the APC from the northern senatorial district of the state feel betrayed by the party and have decided to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

The party source who did not want to be named told CrossRiverWatch recently that:

“There are more than 40 appointments that have been given to Cross River state from the APC federal government. Both the prominent ones that people know and the ones that people are not too familiar with.

“99 percent of these appointments are concentrated in the central and southern senatorial districts. When it was time for the party to also choose a governorship candidate in the state, they still went for the central. That is how not to treat a partner in a business.

“Vena is our leader. We cannot betray him. For you to have seen us move back to PDP recently should have told everyone of you that our leader has sanctioned it. We are his fore-runners. We only left ahead of him according to his instruction. He is coming along with others.” Our source said.

CrossRiverWatch also gathered that the incumbent chapter chairman of the APC in Obudu, Mr. Moses Utsu, is also on his way back to the PDP.

The immediate past Obudu chapter Chairman, Mr. Mathias Abekam Ugbelishior, is also reported to have joined the PDP and has been named member of the 1600 Ayade campaign council.