A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in Cross River State has declared that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has no influence over the party’s affairs in the state.
The factional Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, Bassey Eko Ewa, made the statement in Calabar in response to controversies surrounding the recent state congress that elected the Venatius Ikem-led executive.
Ewa accused Wike, alongside PDP National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, of backing the disputed congress held two weeks ago.
He emphasized that Wike is no longer recognized as a member of the PDP and therefore cannot control the party’s activities in Cross River State.
“Wike is an outsider. We cannot allow someone who is no longer part of the PDP to dictate what happens in Cross River State,” Ewa said.
Ewa, who previously served as Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, also criticized some elected officials from the state for a lack of accountability. He attributed poor governance and infrastructure decline to past leadership failures.
He further condemned the frequent defections of elected representatives, arguing that such moves weaken party structures. Ewa urged politicians to follow the example of President Bola Tinubu, who, he noted, stayed in the opposition for years without switching parties until he became president.
Reaffirming his loyalty to the PDP, Ewa dismissed rumors that he and some colleagues had defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stressing their determination to rebuild the party.
“Our constitution prescribes how to leave the party. We have been in PDP since 1998 and remain committed to its ideals,” he concluded.
