A frontline opposition party in the country, the Action People’s Party (APP), has joined the Rivers State Local Government Council elections slated for October 5, 2024.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had last Monday announced October 5, 2024, as the date for the conduct of local government area elections to elect new chairmen and councillors in the state.
Barely one week after, the APP, in a statement signed by its Deputy Publicity Secretary, Emeka Uwazurike, said it was poised for the exercise as it earlier disclosed that the party would be fully participating in the election.
Uwazurike said as a party which is conscious of youths and women inclusion and supportive of their participation in the political process, it was going to issue free nomination forms to young and female aspirants, who would be seeking its ticket for the October 5 polls.
“As we said last Monday, immediately after the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) announced October 5, 2024 as the date for the conduct of local government areas election in the state, the party has commenced the process of participating in the election.
“To this end, the party is issueing forms free to youths and female aspirants who will be seeking our ticket to contest for the October 5, Rivers State Local Government Councils Elections. This is in line with our resolve to champion women and youth inclusion as well as participation in politics.
“We again, hail the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Sim Fubara for his democratic posture to give a approval for RSIEC to hold the exercise when most of his colleagues who they took oath of office on the same day both for their first and second term have not shown the commitment to entrenching democratically elected leadership at the grassroots but have rather continued to appoint and reappoint caretaker committees for more than a year now.
“It is by this show of concern in the consolidation of democracy in the state, our party’s confidence has been restored and we are fully participating in the exercise with firm believe that we will win going by the pace set by the His Excellency Governor Fubara and the RSIEC Chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rted).
“The APP equally urged other Governors and SIECs who are yet to fix date for local government elections since May 29, 2023 to borrow a leaf from Governor Fubara as well as RSIEC and immediately work out the plans for the conduct of council polls in order to tame with the undemocratic practice of appointing and reappointing caretaker committees,” he stated.