IPAC Knocks APC, Set For LG Polls

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Rivers State Chapter has described as unfortunate and ill-considered, the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to withdraw from the June 16, 2018, local government council elections in the state, assuring that 62 political parties will participate in the polls.
Addressing a press conference, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, IPAC Chairman in the state, Pastor Sam Ihunwo said APC’s decision was in consonance with its abhorrence of inter-party cooperation, democratic procedures and principles in preference for propaganda, falsehood and distortion of facts.
Congratulating the Rivers State Independent Election Commission (RSIEC) for its bold steps at scheduling the local government polls to deepen grassroots democracy in the state, IPAC described APC’s withdrawal from the elections as a “propaganda gimmick to hide its unpopularity and rejection by the people and residents of the state.”
IPAC said: “It is part of their propaganda from the deep pits of hell reminiscent of the time they falsely announced to the whole world that the National Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa had restored the annulled elections, and asked for police security to take them to the local government councils in Rivers State”.
Citing various court judgments on the local government elections in the state, IPAC recalled that the High Court of Rivers State, in APC vs the Governor of Rivers State and 4 others, (Suit Number PHC/47/2015), decided that no democratically conducted local government election by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) held in the state on May 23, 2015.
IPAC stated that the APC accepted totally and completely the decision of the High Court, which was delivered on September 30, 2015, hence APC has not challenged that judgment.
According to IPAC: “The APC knows what their so-called candidates sought leave to appeal against in the Court of Appeal, and which is the subject of the appeals in the Supreme Court, is the disciplinary decision of the Federal High Court that has no bearing on the fact that a court of competent jurisdiction has in fact annulled the election of May 23, 2015.”
Insisting that “the purported tenure created by the Rivers State High Court annulled election of May 23, 2015, expires May 25, 2018,” IPAC wondered why RSIEC is expected to “wait in perpetuity for political parties to clean up their mess at the express of good democratic governance for Rivers people at the grassroots level.”
IPAC, further asking what APC’s pains are, queried: “Must APC always hold Nigerians in Rivers State and all other political parties to ransom?”

Victor Tew