IPAC WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE
12/09/2023
ELECTIONS; IPAC GIVES GOVERNOR OTU 90 DAYS TO CONDUCT LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN CROSS RIVER STATE
The leadership of the Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Cross River State Chapter, being an umbrella body for the 19 political parties recognized by INEC hereby gives His Excellency, Senator Bassey Otu Edet 90 days ultimatum to conduct the suspended Local Government elections in the state.
Recall that the process leading to the conduct of the Local Government Elections commenced in May last year but was understandably postponed to give enough room for the conduct of the last general elections. The last date scheduled for the election was 21st October, 2023, which is next month.
As a new administration, it was our considered opinion to allow the government ample time to settle down and hit the ground running. Consequently, for over three months and counting, we declared a deserved honeymoon for the new administration.
We were however shocked to note that in his Press Conference last week to mark his 100 days in office, nothing was said about the administrative lacuna in our Local Government Councils. This clearly shows that he is yet to prioritize Local Government administration.
It is expected that as a former Federal Legislator at both the Upper and Lower Houses, he should lead by example.
We are also well aware that Edo State conducted Local Government Election barely a week ago, the election that was postponed just like ours. Moreover, Taraba State with a new governor just like us has scheduled her Local Government election to hold on the 18th of November, 2023. These are states that commenced the process about the same time with Cross River State. The reason these states are conducting elections hitherto postponed is because government is a continuum.
It is against the background of the foregoing that we have elected to call on the governor to mandate the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission, CROSIEC to immediately return to work as Cross Riverians can no longer tolerate the illegal and unconstitutional imposition of Heads of Local Government Administration, HOLGA.
Comrade Anthony Bissong Attah, Chairman, IPAC, CRS
Pastor Ntami Esege
Secretary, IPAC, CRS.