by crossriverwatch admin
The newly registered All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River state has embarked on the harmonization of list of candidates vying for the September 21 local government elections in the state.
Following the arrangement, the leadership of the three parties that merged into the APC, namely ACN, ANPP and CPC have constituted an electoral college in council areas where there is need for harmonization to decide on who flies the APC flag at the September council poll.
The template for the exercise according to a chieftain of the party, Mr. Hilliard Eta is that “All Chapter Chairman, Secretaries, Treasurers, Youth Leaders and Women Leaders of the three parties in the merger in the affected council areas will constitute the electoral college to vote and decide on a candidate among the candidates from the defunct parties.”
Eta said ”after the exercise, the party will submit the list to the national echelon in Abuja where it will be endorsed by the National leadership before it is finally submitted to the CROSIEC”.
Parties had earlier submitted lists of their candidates to the Cross River Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) before the merger which has now forced them to withdraw their candidature.
Eta said with the registration of APC, leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) unanimously agreed to present candidates under the new party.
He disclosed that the party will decide on its candidates not based on sentiments of individual parties but on the popularity of the individual candidates to win the elections.
“Any aspirant in any of the parties who has an edge over others in terms of popularity will be presented for the elections as the college may decide” he insisted.
Mr. Etta further disclosed that the new party will present candidates in all the eighteen local governments and 196 wards in Cross River, noting that ”the emergence of APC was a viable option as the people of Cross River now have a choice.’’
On the chances of the party upsetting the ruling PDP, he said APC was a viable option as residents of the state are in dire need of change.
According to him, ‘this is the first time opposition parties are fielding candidates in all the local governments and wards in the state. We are optimistic that APC will create serious impact during the local government elections in Cross River.’
Eta denied leadership crisis in the new party stating that the issue of deciding the structure of the party from the state to the ward levels has been undertaken by a committee led by former Speaker, Alhaji Bello Masari while Senator Osita is to look into the issue of local government elections in affected states.
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