By EHIGIMETOR IGBAUGBA

Some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Cross River leaders on Monday protested against alleged plans by the national secretariat to reinstate the removed state chairman, Mr Venatius Ikem.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesters, who stormed the PDP secretariat in Calabar, were from wards and Local Governments chapters of PDP in the state.

Armed with placard of various inscriptions the protestations threatened to leave the party if the removed chairman be reinstated.

Some of the placards read: Ikem must go; all wards and local government chapters reject Vena; the decision of Cross River State Working Committee (SWC) is the best for the party??, among others.

Led by the Calabar Municipality chairman, Mr Bassey Asuquo, the protestanters said the removal of Ikem was the best thing to have happened to the party in recent times.

Asuquo said Ikem, as the party chairman, stagnated the growth of the party in Cross River.

?We are here because of the going on in the party. We the chapter leadership across the state are in support of anything, including the removal of anyone, that will make the party to grow.

?The national secretariat should let Ikem go for the good of the party in Cross River. If Ikem is not removed we will leave the party for him,? he said.

Chief Dennis Ikiri, deputy state chairman of the party, who received the protesters, assured them that the right thing would be done for the growth of the party.

Similarly, Mr Mike Ojisi, state Publicity Secretary of PDP, said: ?We want Jonah to be removed from the boat for it not to sink?.

It would be recalled that the State Working Committee of the party had two weeks ago removed Ikem over allegations of financial misappropriation, high-handiness and ineptitude.

However, Ikem described his removal as unconstitutional and threatened legal action. (NAN)

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