By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Some leaders of opposition parties in Cross River State on Wednesday attacked chairman of the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Venatius Ikem, at the headquarters of Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission, CROSIEC.
CompassNG reports that argument had ensued between leaders of other opposition parties and Ikem, the state PDP chairman, shortly after the chairman of CROSIEC, Dr Ekong Edet Boco, released the time for the conduct of local government election to the various political parties that were at the meeting.
Bocco had pronounced that political parties are expected to use one month to prepare for local government council elections, stressing that elections will hold on October 26, 2024.
Not satisfied with the date, the state PDP chairman, Mr. Ikem, expressed displeasure over a long speech by the chairman of state Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, who doubles as the state chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Dr Ekpenyong Ambo, for speaking for too long instead of taking the vote of thanks, which he was to take for participants to disperse.
Fight broke out just as former IPAC chairman, Anthony Bissong, and other state chairmen of other parties rose against Ikem, shouting at him to keep quiet and insisted that Ikem must sit down and allow the fellow who was talking to complete his speech.
Ikem, not pleased with what Ambo was saying insisted further that Ambo had deviated from what he ought to say, to attempting to veiled denigration of his party.
Mob action was averted when the CROSIEC chairman struggled and brought order to the pandemonium.
Earlier before the confusion, the CROSIEC chairman, Bocco had released the timetable for the 2024 local government election in the state.
The CROSIEC chairman announced that the conduct of party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries, kick-starts immediately and should terminate on 15 October, 2024.
He said, “All the processes are to terminate on 25th October, 2024, when all political campaigns should also end.
“On 26th October, 2024, local government election will hold in the state.”
The CROSIEC chairman assured that all the registered political parties would be given a level playing field, stressing that, “election is not war.”
He enthused, “We are going to conduct a rancour-free election. So we need a peaceful environment to achieve a credible and acceptable election in the state.”
All the political parties pledged their readiness to actively participate in the polls since it has been long been overdue.
Ikem however expressed displeasure at the situation, saying that the hasty amendment of the electoral law to conduct the election, the sudden release of the timetable and multiple adjustments of goalposts was carried out deliberately to favour ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
He said, “We’ll rather participate in protest, because to boycott is a language of defeat.”
