From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Thousands of delegates from the 18 local government areas of Cross River State on Saturday turned up for the state congress of the People’s Democratic Party.
The congress, which was largely peaceful and well organised, will choose leaders that will steer the party’s affairs for the next four years.
The delegates defied the decision of the National Working Committee of the party to postpone the elections and trouped out in their numbers to choose its new leaders.
Incumbent State chairman Venatius Ikem is squaring up against Tim Ekawu for the top job of running the affairs of the party.
The Congress is being monitored by security agencies including the Department of State Services as well as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Cross River State, Johnson Alalibo.
The Congress was not without controversies as a zonal committee headed by Emmanuel Ogidi announced that the Congress has been postponed.
He said this is a position of the National Working Committee of the party and said a new date will be announced in due course.
However, Senator representing the Northern Senatorial District of the state, Jarigbe Agom, said the Congress is legitimate and he feels very good about it.
He said the people from the Zonal committee are incompetent to take that decision of postponing the Congress and you know in law you cannot put something on nothing.
“This Congress today is predicated on the decision of the NEC and I don’t think anyone can challenge this because the Congress is very legitimate and is in line with decisions of the party.
“We have chosen very competent people to run our party ahead of 2027 and we are good to go,” Senator Jarigbe said.
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