The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State has suffered another setback following the resignation of the party’s State Assistant Treasurer, amid reports that former state chairman, Venatius Ikem, is set to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

The latest resignation comes shortly after Ikem stepped down as the state chairman, raising fresh questions about the state of the opposition party and the future of its leadership structure.

 

Sources close to the former chairman disclosed that arrangements had been concluded for Ikem to join the APC, with his formal reception expected to take place on Thursday.

 

According to one of the sources, members of the APC support group known as EVIDENCE GROUP had met with Ikem ahead of the planned reception.

 

However, the circumstances surrounding the resignation of the PDP State Assistant Treasurer and whether it is connected to Ikem’s anticipated defection were not immediately clear.

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Ikem had recently stirred political debate with a post on his Facebook page in which he questioned the rationale behind PDP members supporting the APC while remaining in the opposition party.

 

“The logic of working for the APC but not joining the APC is lost on me,” he wrote.

 

The statement has drawn attention amid reports of his planned move to the APC, although the former chairman’s formal defection was yet to be confirmed in the information available.

 

The latest developments come at a critical time for the PDP in Cross River State as political alignments continue to take shape ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

Neither the PDP nor the APC had officially confirmed Ikem’s reported defection at the time of filing this report.