President of the State of Cross River of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Barr. Venatius Ikem has been re -elected for a second period of four years.
Venatius Ikem was re -elected along with another 38 members of the State Executives during the 2025 State Congress of the party, held on September 27, 2025, in the Venetian Arena along the Murtala Mohammed road, Calabar.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state of Cross River, Dr. Johnson Alalibo Sinikem, directed the Electoral Commission to observe the State Congress together with other legal bodies such as the Police, NSCDC and DSS.
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In his speech to the delegates, president of the Electoral Panel of Congress, Hon. Jones Chukwudi recognized the presence of legal institutions required under the electoral guidelines, including INEC, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), and State Department Services (DSS).
He said: “For each election, according to the electoral guidelines, there are legal institutions that must be present. The first is INEC, and INEC is here. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) is here. Others present here are present are the Nigeria police force, the Niger Line with the line with the line with the line with the electoral directives. “
Later, Barr. Venatius Ikem was re -elected as state president with 1,541 votes, along with 38 other members of the SEC.
In his acceptance speech, Barr. IKEM promised that the new executive would focus on rebuilding the party and strengthening its structures before future elections.
“With all the experiences we have gathered and humility conferred us today, we commit ourselves to do it much better. Advancing, we will challenge some of the problems that came to our last expedition and we will begin the reconstruction process to put together our house.”
Speaking to journalists after Congress, the former candidate for governor of the party, Senator Prof. Sandy Ojang Onor, described the process as a transparency model.
“All the necessary ingredients for the realization of elections were present here today. We had a chamber of delegates, an appropriate panel duly certified by the National Labor Committee (NWC), the legal institutions in accordance with the electoral guidelines, and everything was done with responsibility and transparency.”
He added that participation reflected the strong presence of PDP in the state.
“We are happy and happy. You can see that the PDP still has a great impulse in our state, and the future is very beautiful and promising,” he said.
Also speaking, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, who represents the senatorial district of Cross River North, praised Congress for strictly adhering to the rules, urging leadership re -elected to prioritize reconciliation within the party.
He said: “I am impressed that we follow all the due processes according to the electoral guidelines for the conduct of the congresses. The way to follow is that we work together in the success in 2027; this would be easier as soon as the exco initiates the adequate reconciliation processes and work as a team.”
In addition to senators Sandy Onor and Jarigbe Agom, other PDP leaders in Congress were the former vice governor of the state of Cross River, Barr. Efiok Cobham, former governor candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, member of the House of Representatives that represents Ogoja/Yala Federal Beuthuency, Barr. Godwin de Offiono, former member of the House of Representatives that represents the Municipal Federal constituency/Odukpani de Calabar, Hon. Eta Mbora, former aspiring of the House of Representatives for the federal constituency Akamkpa/Biase, Barr. Bassey O. Bassey, among others.
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