Ikem had set the ‘fire’ ball rolling when he wrote in lieu of the defection that, “… we really thought it would be bad politics to abandon “our brother” Ayade for sure…But the Ayade I had come to know in politics has no regard for those who support him: only money, sycophants and family! If they coincide, good; otherwise the rest are just tools to achieve his personal objective”.
He went on to say, “…our objective is clear: to put the mistakes of the past behind us and help the opposition and indeed our state, get back to mainstream Nigerian politics. Clearly both Imoke and Ayade have no stomach for legitimate processes and APC is what it is today because they respect their rules and constitution even if they are not perfect too. We expect a level playing field in APC should we decide to contest the elections in 2019. That is our minimum expectation of the Party.”
Reacting to Ikem’s submissions, one Emmanuel Akunke Andoya hit back saying, “@Vena, I bet you, APC might be change but you are not, you can’t change. Paul Adah, Victor Agwu, Senator Ayade, Liyel Imoke, all you’ve been with and non you are with at the moment. You are very temporal, like seriously you will soon be back. We will never turn our backs on our own”.
Richard Anake, who also commented, seems to reduce Cross River’s latest political fist fight to an ethnic confrontation. He wrote, “…it will be a shame if we do what Mr. Venatius Ikem is agitating for. If Gov. Ayade needs any support he must get it from we (sic) the Obudu people, if we are aggrieved we must come together to settle our differences, I am not in politics I just don’t feel proud when I see our brother spearheading opposition against his own brother from the same local government area, please we must not wash our dirty linen in public, we are being laughed at”. Okosi Emmanuel Setah, politely took a shot at Ikem saying, “Vena you are an amazing writer and a politician who for some reason came into limelight by favour of the PDP until your misfortune which we all know (sic) …I don’t think you have what it takes to achieve what Imoke have (sic) achieved in politics across the country. Please I will advise you to be very objective in reasoning so that your admirers will not learn the politics of personal hate that you are exhibiting”.
It was however not all flak for the Obudu-born politician as people like one Jerry Agboh wrote that, “…some of you calling Hon. Vena names now have been his acquaintance (sic), who at one point or the other would always run to his house for one thing or the other…I would advise that we think before calling names.
Ikem, the man in the eye of the storm sounded comical in his reply, “…Lol…so many wailers on my wall…Some people sha ooo no understand nothing, just hoping that calling Vena names could get them appointment ooo. Try harder. Hehehe”.
Venatius Ikem shouldn’t be given this attention because he has no such charisma to win elections. He is only fighting for himself and personal recognition
Hey guys, Vena haters, PDP singers and Ayade’s apologists. U don’t need to castigate Vena for expressing his fundamental right of freedom of association just because some of you want appointment in Ayade government. If I may ask, is this not the same Venatius that PDP pushed out through indefinite suspension just because he willingly supported a fellow PDP aspirant in an open gubernatorial primaries? What offence did he commit? Did vena not work for the victory of PDP in the general elections despite the suspension? Has PDP recall him back officially through the same media announcement and publications in national dailies as was done during the suspension?
Now, Vena has decided to move on with his life, why should that be an issue of unrest in the PDP. If you think Vena is not relevant any more then hold your peace in PDP and wait for the result of any general election from Obudu even with governor from there.
Again, someone said PDP made Vena politically, that’s laughable. I am not from Obudu, but as a Crossriverian, I do know that Venatius became chairman of Obudu at a very tender age of about 26 when the founding fathers of PDP in CRS were still jobless. I think u all should leave vena alone.