APC confirms boycott of Ebonyi council polls April 22

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi says it will not participate in the April 22 local government council elections in the state.

Spokesman of the party in the state, Mr Chuks Oko, made this known in an interview with our reporter in Abakaliki on Thursday.

Oko explained that the party’s decision to boycott the polls was because it was not comfortable with the composition of members of the electoral commission.

“The party will meet on Sunday, April 9, to deliberate on issues affecting the party in the state and I want to assure you that non-participation in councils polls will feature at the meeting.

“The party will make public its decision not to take part in the election.

“But, in the interim, I wish to inform you that APC as an opposition in the state is not comfortable with the composition of membership of the State Independent Electoral Commission.

“All the members are members of the Divine Mandate Organisation, a political group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi,’’ Oko alleged.

He dismissed rumours that some elements within the party were sponsoring candidates to run in the election and maintained that the party had only one recognized leadership under Mr Eze Nwachukwu.

“There is only one leadership in APC in Ebonyi. The Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act have provided that candidates for any elective positions must be sponsored by political parties.

“We have said that we are not going to participate in the forthcoming election and the position is very clear.

“I wonder how someone could claim to be contesting an election using our platform in an election the party said it is not participating in.

“There is no iota of truth in the rumour and all posters you see allegedly bearing the logo of our great party for the election should be discountenanced.

“We are not fielding candidates for the election because the party has resolved not to be part of it,’’ he added.