Former Cross River State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Venatius Ikem, is set to defect to the All Progressives Congress with thousands of supporters, days after resigning from the opposition party.
Ikem, who led the PDP in the state for five years, is expected to be formally received by the APC this weekend in his hometown of Obudu, following consultations with party leaders, according to sources cited by The Guardian.
He resigned on Friday, October 16, 2026, citing irreconcilable differences, lack of cohesion and direction within the PDP, as well as concerns over the national leadership’s handling of the Rainbow Coalition.
The APC leadership in Cross River has indicated its readiness to welcome the former PDP chairman.
The state APC chairman, Chris Etta, said the party would receive Ikem if he decided to join its ranks.
The planned defection comes after several elected officials who won their positions on the PDP platform in the 2023 elections reportedly switched to the APC.
Under Ikem’s leadership, the PDP won one Senate seat, two House of Representatives seats and three State House of Assembly seats in the 2023 general elections, maintaining its position as a significant opposition party in the state.
The departure of those elected officials has since weakened the party’s political presence, while Ikem’s proposed move could further affect its preparations for the 2027 governorship election.
However, the PDP has dismissed suggestions that the former chairman’s resignation would undermine its structure across the state.
In a statement signed by the State Secretary, Joe Bisong, and the Publicity Secretary, Mike Ojisi, the party said it remained firmly established across Cross River’s 18 local government areas and 196 wards.
Ojisi, in a separate statement on Sunday, urged members to remain calm, describing Ikem’s reasons for leaving as his personal opinion.
He maintained that the resignation of one individual, regardless of position, could not bring down a party as established as the PDP.
The party said it was founded on collective aspirations and ideology rather than individual personalities, expressing confidence in its elders, stakeholders and governorship candidate, Arthur Jarvis-Archibong, ahead of the 2027 election.
It added that the State Working Committee would soon announce an acting chairman to oversee its affairs pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.
Ikem’s anticipated defection could nevertheless pose a fresh challenge for the PDP as both parties position themselves for the next governorship election in Cross River State.
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