The Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria IPAC, Akwa Ibom State has distanced other opposition parties in the state from the protest against the Resident Electoral Commissioner Mr Mike Igini.
Over 1000 Youths of the state on Wednesday barricaded the INEC state Office calling for the removal of the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Igini,
One the leaders of the Wednesday’s protest, Mr. Ubok-Obong Umoh, said the personal vendatta of Igini against the main opposition party in the state need to be probed.
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” This protest is carried out by all the Youths in opposition political party in Akwa Ibom state and APC supporters are all here because it is the main opposition party in the state. We are protesting clear partisanship demonstrated by a supposed umpire, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr. Mike Igini.
“Between 2019 and now, Igini has demonstrated that he has no faith in the Nigerian democracy and as a result, he is now playing the script of Akwa Ibom State government”, he had said.
However, distancing itself from the protest, IPAC in a statement signed by fourteen state chairmen of political parties called on the APC to immediately retract the statement and issue an apology to it.
The Council therefore urged the opposition party to channel it’s grievance to appropriate quarters rather than dragging it into their internal crisis.
The statement reads; “The attention of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria IPAC, Akwa Ibom State, has been drawn to the speculation making the round that the purported protests carried out by members of All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking the removal of the REC, Mr. Mike Igini, was the position of all the seventeen (17) political parties in the State except the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
We wish to state categorically that: “Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria in Akwa Ibom State is the umbrella body of all registered political parties in the State saddled with the responsibility of playing dialogue and advisory roles on Inter-Party related matters, as well settling internal rancour between political parties”
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“There was never a time the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the State approached the council with any complain against Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner , talkless of discussing or agreeing on protest of any sort against the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini”.
“It is however misleading, untrue and unfounded for APC youths in the State to purport that the protest was a combination of all the political parties in the State. It is for the above reason that IPAC calls for immediate and unconditional retraction of the offending statement and apologies from APC in the State, for dragging the council into their internal party affairs with Mr. Mike Igini”.
“We want to place on record that over the years IPAC has enjoyed a healthy working relationship with Independent National Electoral Commission in the State. We advise the All Progressives Congress in the State to look for ways to resolve their internal conflicts as other political parties in the state are doing without involving innocent third parties like INEC”.
“APC should channel their complaints and grievances to appropriate quarters rather than dragging Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, IPAC in Akwa Ibom State into their crisis,” the group said in asking the APC to take its issues against Igini to the appropriate quarters.
“IPAC however calls on all political parties in Akwa Ibom State to remain calm and play by the rules governing the 2023 general elections given by INEC in strict adherence with the electoral laws.
“We also call on Akwa Ibom youths, women and elders to get their Permanent Voter’s Card and vote for the party of their choice for a more secured future”.
In a similar vein , another group of APC protesters, on Friday stormed the streets of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital to counter the protest allegedly staged by the Godswill Akpabio led faction of the APC.
IPAC also drummed support for Mike Igini led INEC in Akwa Ibom state, and urged politicians in the state to allow Igini to do his work.
