Chairman of Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, Barrister Julius Onyenucheya Ebuzor has assured the leadership of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) of conducting a credible local government election that will be a reference for other states in the country. This disclosure was made on Monday at the Commission’s office when members of state and LGA exco of APGA paid an unscheduled visit to the commission to announce their readiness to participate in the forthcoming elections.
Chairman of the party in the state, Chief John Iwuala commended the Commission for its efforts in the just concluded ward delineation exercise preparatory to the local government election. Iwuala remarked that though APGA is an opposition party but will not fail to commend the ruling party when it has done good job or criticize it constructively when it has failed to perform. He described APGA as a party that doesn’t engage in foolish opposition or cheap propaganda but one that indulges in constructive opposition that will produce positive results.
He said “We are yet to see anything bad in your administration and therefore APGA is ready for the coming election. We are ready to participate and win. We have not discovered any sign or tendency towards irregularities to warrant our boycott of the election. Therefore we urge you not to deviate from this path which is the reason for our decision to be part of the election.
He also used the occasion to seek the readiness of the commission to conduct the election and sought for the publication of its time table.
Speaking further Chief Iwuala cleared the air on the authentic and recognized excos of the party which he said is the one led by him. He advised the commission to avoid dealing with any illegal contraption or group that parades itself as APGA leaders as he described as fake and mischief makers.
The APGA State Chairman explained that the court has made a status quo Ante Bellum Order directing the return of all the officers to their former positions who were there before the conduct of the purported congresses that is being currently challenged in court.
While assuring of the readiness of APGA to participate in the election, the party also demanded that the Commission must not allow itself to be brainwashed by PDP to take recourse to manipulating results instead of declaring whoever that wins in the elections. The party chairman lamented that the state cannot be left for only the PDP alone, contending that APGA will win over any other party in the state anytime, saying the victory of PDP at the governorship level was the making of APGA through Hon. Uche Onyeagucha.
Responding, the ISIEC Chairman Barrister Onyenucheya Ebuzor expressed the joy of his commission in welcoming the APGA faithful.
He reassured the party that the commission will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that the election was perfect and different from the shams that came before it. According to him, members of the commission are responsible and credible people who will not compromise their office for any reason.
He stated that the commission had just concluded visitation to all the INEC wards in the state to conduct verification that resulted to the creation of the newly released ISIEC wards. He described APGA as one of the great parties in the state with potentials to win elections and hence expressed delight that it has declared interest to participate in the election.
On the issue of when the date of the election will be held the ISIEC Chairman disclosed that this has been kept in dark as a result of lack of expression of interest by political parties to participate. He said “With the APGA declaration to run the election the commission will not delay in issuing a statement on the date of the election”.
Barrister Ebuz therefore urged members of APGA to go home and begin to prepare for the election, saying that result of every election will be declared on its merit and without sentiment or bias, using his own LGA as example where he promised to declare whosoever wins. He also assured that the commission will have no reason not to deal with the Iwuala led Exco, having presented a true picture of the legal standing of APGA that has not been controverted.
Among the Commissioners present at the visit were the Chairman, Barrister Julius Onyenucheya Ebuzor, Prof. Sam Onyekuru, Hon. Barr. Ambrose Ugbaja, Hon. Dr. N.N. Nwanezi, Barr. Olumba and Mrs. Ezioma Denwigwe, the admin Sec
IMO TRUMPETA
