The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Efiom Edet, has called on Governor Bassey Otu to expeditiously assent to the Cross River Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) Bill.
The bill, recently passed by the Cross River State House of Assembly, aims to regulate the conduct of local government elections in the state.
Addressing newsmen over the weekend in Calabar, Mr. Edet said the. Council has threatened to petition the relevant authorities if local government elections are not conducted promptly. The council has also vowed to stop local government allocation to the 18 local governments in the state if the government fails to adhere to their advice.
He said: “After an interactive session with the House of Assembly, IPAC reached an agreement on the reviewed clauses of the bill. The amended portions have been sent to the governor for assent and reflect the broader consensus of critical stakeholders.
“IPAC has commended the House of Assembly for the swift passage of the bill, demonstrating their commitment to deepening democracy in the state. The council urges Governor Otu to expeditiously assent to the bill to enable the conduct of local government elections.
“IPAC demands that the governor conduct local government elections before the end of December 2024. Failure to do so will result in the council asking the federal government to stop allocation to the 18 local government areas in the state.
“IPAC has paid a courtesy visit to the newly constituted CROSIEC and passed a vote of confidence in the commission. The council urges CROSIEC to release the election timetable without further hesitation and ensure the conduct of a free, fair, transparent, credible, and peaceful local government election.
“IPAC calls for the participation of all political parties and Cross Riverians to be actively involved in the forthcoming local government elections to restore democracy at the grassroots.