Gov. Ikpeazu Directs State Electoral Agency To Begin Preparations For LG polls

The Abia State government has directed the state Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) to submit modalities for the conduct of the forthcoming local government elections in the state.

A memo to this effect, issued from the Government House, Umuahia, and seen by THE WHISTLER on Thursday, also directed the state’s electoral body to work out the cost of conducting transparent polls.

The 17 local government areas and 292 electoral wards in the state would elect new chairmen and councilors in a statewide election expected to be scheduled soon.

The state last held its local government elections in December 2016.

Local councils were dissolved in December 2019 and transition committee chairmen appointed to run the affairs of the councils.

Recall that the All Progressives Congress, APC, recently gave the state government three months’ ultimatum to conduct elections into the local government areas in the state.

The party had, in a statement by its publicity secretary, Benedict Godson, faulted imposition of transition committee chairmen in various local governments in the state, describing it as undemocratic and retrogressive.

The statement read in part, “This call has become urgently important because we can no longer watch our dear state wallow in the wilderness of underdevelopment while other parts of this country are sitting right inside the paradise of democracy.

“Our people must realize that 17 council chairmen appointed by a governor are more answerable to him than even his commissioners and aides. Abia cannot develop with transition committee chairmen heading our LGAs. Whenever the state government is under-performing, they too will do nothing because they’re responding to the system that appointed them.”

Some stakeholders in the state, including the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, also met with Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu in Aba to deliberate on the planned local government elections in the state.