The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has stated that it will not participate in the Local Government Councils Elections scheduled to hold on June 16, 2018 over alleged illegality of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission’s (RSIEC).
The Chairman of APC in Rivers, Chief Davies Ikanya, made the assertion at a news conference on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
The RSIEC Chairman, Justice C. I. Uriri, had on March 13, informed stakeholders at a meeting that the commission would conduct councils elections because it was worried over the vacancies.
Ikanya said that it was shocking for the RSIEC chairman to express worries that there had not been local government elections in the state on the grounds that the law abhors vacuum.
He said there was no vacuum in the leadership of the local government councils since the term of office of the elected chairmen and councillors had not expired and was a subject of litigation before the courts.
“Uriri, who served as a Judge of the High Court of Rivers should have known better that there is no vacuum and advise the state government to stop putting Rivers in the news for bad reasons.
“The local government leadership case is a subject of litigation before the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in Suit No: PHC/PH/CS/84/2015, Appeal Nos: CA/PH/338/2016 and SC/536/2016 respectively,’’ he said.
According to Ikanya, until the cases are decided by the courts, any action by RSIEC and the Rivers Government on the subject matter is an affront to the rule of law.
“Based on this, the APC will not partake in the contempt and sacrilege of Gov. Nyesom Wike and RSIEC over the local government elections in the state slated for June 16 because it’s an illegality,’’ he added.
The Rivers APC chairman said the RSIEC in 2015 issued a notice in accordance with the RSIEC Law to the public and called on political parties wishing to sponsor candidates to present their candidates.
He said the Rivers electoral umpire successfully conducted the Local Government Council elections in the state on Dec. 23, 2015.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took an action by way of originating summons against INEC, RSIEC, Governor of Rivers, Inspector-General of Police and the State Security Service before the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Lambo Akanbi.
“The PDP also filed alongside the originating summons, a motion on notice on Dec. 27, 2015 for an order of mandatory injunction setting aside the LGA elections conducted by INEC and RSIEC.
“Justice Akanbi delivered a ruling on July 9, 2015 in favour of the PDP and the elected chairmen of the 22 LGAs filed an application before the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal as interested parties.
