The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) of Cross River State has called on the state government and the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) to postpone the upcoming local government elections by one week to allow for better preparation by political parties. The appeal was made in a statement released today by IPAC’s Chairman, Engr. Effiom Edet Okon, alongside other key officials.
IPAC, in its statement, expressed full support for the state government’s efforts to conduct the elections but stressed that additional time is necessary to ensure a smooth and fair process.
“We are totally in support of the state and its preparation for the conduct of local government elections. However, we ask for a one-week extension of time to ensure adequate preparation by all political parties,” said Engr. Okon.
The council also called on Governor Senator Prince Edet Bassey Otu to intervene and have CROSIEC review the current nomination fees, which they described as financially burdensome for candidates. The current fee for chairmanship candidates stands at ₦5,000,000, while councillorship hopefuls are expected to pay ₦1,000,000. IPAC is appealing for a significant reduction, recommending ₦500,000 for chairmanship and ₦100,000 for councillorship.
“We appeal to the Governor to prevail on CROSIEC to review the approved nomination fees, considering the financial burden such a humongous amount may impose on political party candidates,” added Mike Ojisi, the Secretary of IPAC’s Local Government Affairs and Election Monitoring Committee.
The council also reiterated the need for a level playing field for all political parties and urged citizens to actively participate in electing their preferred candidates.
“We restate our commitment to ensuring peaceful conduct during the election process,” said Engr. Okon, emphasizes IPAC’s role as a major stakeholder in the state’s political landscape.
