…Vows to sweep all 23 councils
Again, the caretaker committee of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has increased pressure on Gov Sim Fubara against any thought of dissolving the councils letting alone setting up caretaker committees.
The committee chairman, Tony Okocha, warned in Port Harcourt against setting up caretaker committees in the local government areas, urging the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to release timetable for elections.
The issue of LGA elections seems to give the Okocha faction of the APC some worries. The matter was brought into the peace agreement crafted in Aso Rock weeks back where the governor was restrained from dissolving the LGAs. The Fubara team reacted when Kogi State that is an APC state dissolved the LGAs and set up the same abhorred caretaker committees. They also reminded Okocha that his political hero, Nyesom Wike, used same caretaker system to run the local councils for long since 2015. They also reminded him that Wike dissolved properly elected local council chairmen in almost the 23 LGAs and heavens did not fall.
Back to Port Harcourt, Okocha attended an inter party meeting at the RSIEC office on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
The meeting was said to be held to ascertain the level of preparedness of the RSIEC in conducting the forthcoming local government elections in Rivers State, among other issues.
Latr, Okocha commended the Chairman of IPAC and that of RSIEC for the peaceful deliberation in the meeting.
He called on RSIEC to ensure that the local government elections were conducted promptly and in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as the pronouncements of the Supreme Court against setting up Caretaker Committees in local government areas.
He observed that the tenure of the serving chairmen and councilors in Rivers State would expire soon. He said it has become necessary for RSIEC to notify the political parties about the timetable for the elections within the stipulated time.
The APC chairman confirmed that the party would participate fully in the elections and aimed to win in all the 23 LGAs and the 319 wards in Rivers State.
APC has not participated in elections in the state for long the worst being the LGA elections. There had been one court order or the other stopping the party.
Okocha however said the party has moved away from being a social club to a winning political party in the state. He expressed confidence in the caliber of the chairman and members of the Commission and said he trusted in their experience and capability to deliver a credible, free, fair and unbiased elections in the state.
He called on the governor and security agencies to ensure that they provided the enabling and peaceful environment in the state in order to ensure a seamless local government elections.
