The Cross River chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has constituted a 20-member committee charged with planning and coordinating all aspects of the congress within its scope.
The state Chairman of the party, Venatius Ikem, who made the remark in a statement he issued to newsmen in Calabar on Thursday, said that the party had slated the state congress to hold on Sept. 27.
He said that the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar (Unical), Prof. Zana Akpagu, was appointed as the chairman of the committee while Mrs Hellen Bocco would act as the Secretary.
Mr Ikem said that the committee was also charged with ensuring credible, transparent, and harmonious congress that would usher in new lease of life for the party and reposition it for future responsibilities.
Recall that the party had been embroiled with the issue of retaining the State Working Committee (SWC) led by Venatius Ikem.
While the state caucus of the party favored the retention of the SWC for cohesion and to avoid crisis, some caucus leaders from the Central and Southern senatorial districts of the state thought otherwise.
However, the 18 party chairmen of the local government areas, recently, unanimously adopted the reelection of the SWC.
According to Mr Odili Achom, the Chairman of the 18 chairmen, Ikem has displayed an uncommon level of leadership as well as steered the party affairs creditably in the state.
“We are aware of the various interests that have been shown by different blocs on the issue of chairmanship of the party in Cross River, but for us, we are in full support of Ikem’s continuity.
“Firstly, he is competent and has done very well since he assumed leadership of the party about four years ago.
‘’We are in full support of him continuing with the job of steering the affairs of PDP in Cross River,” Achom stated.
