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Akwa Ibom chapter of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) said on Friday that political parties in the state had agreed that the council polls be fixed for June 9.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo, Mr Linus Udofia, the state chairman of CNPP, said all the 29 political parties reached that agreement .
“This is grassroots election, we are consulting and working tirelessly to win the polls for our different parties.
“Nobody is waiting to blame PDP at the end of the day,” Udofia emphasised.
Reacting to the statement by the state chairman of PDP, Mr Paul Ekpo, that the party was busy campaigning in the field and as such did not have much time for the meeting, Udofia said, “we in CNPP are not lazy.”
Ekpo had said on Wednesday in a stakeholders meeting of all political parties hosted by the State Police Command that the PDP did not have much time to sit through the meeting.
“For us in PDP, we are in the business of campaigning. Today, we were supposed to be in Ibiono Ibom local government area, so I will not sit through the meeting,” Ekpo said.
Udofia said that he considered such statement as implying that other political parties were not working hard and so had the time for stakeholders meeting.
“The stakeholders meeting hosted by the State Police Commissioner was very crucial for the success of June 9 local government council elections in the state.
“We have the security agencies here, the election umpire in the state (AKISIEC), the press and the political parties coming to discuss how to make the elections violent-free.
“Such meeting should make meaning for any lover of democracy,” Udofia said.
Udofia, however, noted that they were a few of their members, who ran their parties in their briefcases and did not field candidates for the forthcoming council elections.
“We may not have the money to run flamboyant campaign, but we are ready for the elections.
“This is a grassroots election, a councillor or a chairman is often elected on the basis of credibility and the strength of character and not on party affiliation.
“My appeal is that the state government should allow a level playing field for everybody,” Udofia added.
NAN reports that the administration of local government areas in the state had been in the hands of caretaker committees since September 2011 after the end of an extended tenure granted the 2008 elected officers. (NAN)
