… Disowns AAC chair, Nzenwa

…As consultations ongoing with General Assembly

By Chris Ochayi

The leadership of Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, IPAC, has announced that it will soon come up with definite position on the nomination of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, as National Commissioner at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The acting President of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, IPAC, Chief Ralphs Okey Nwosu, who made remarks in a statement issued in Abuja, explained that the General Assembly of IPAC was yet to debate on the issue.

Nwosu said the Council was yet to table the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari before the General Assembly of IPAC for proper debate and consideration vis a vis the merits and or demerits of such nominations.

He therefore called on Nigerians to discountenance a remark purportedly by one Leonard Nzenwa, challenging the nomination of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, while claiming to be speaking for IPAC.

While distancing the IPAC from a purported publication issued by Nzenwa, who is the National Chairman of Africa Action Congress, AAC, Chief Nwosu declared that no party chairman has the power to speak for IPAC.

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Chief Nwosu stressed further that the person of Nzenwa has no locus to speak for IPAC and more so when the council has not met to take any decision concerning the nomination of Mrs Onochei as INEC Commissioner by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The IPAC President warns against such frivolous statement by Nzenwa and says that the era when one individual or a few persons will concoct statements in the name of all political parties is over.

He said, “Under my headship, the full council must meet to take decisions and draft policies and take all necessary steps to build harmony and not overheat the polity.

“We ask the government and all party leaders to discountenance the purported statement by AAC as that remain the position of their party and his individual opinion.

“IPAC will have a full Council meeting to deliberate on burning national issues as they affect the polity. Such a meeting will be held in a few days and will be widely publicized.

“For the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria to arrive at any position on issues bordering on the state of affairs of the Country, the sanction of the General Assembly of the Council must be sought and obtained.

“It is however inconceivable how an individual member could arrogate to himself, the powers of the National Executive Council and or the General Assembly of the Council to make such reckless and irresponsible public pronouncements on behalf of the Council.

“The Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria has taken cognizance of the recent developments on the nominations by Mr. President pending confirmation by the National assembly, of National Commissioners of INEC.

“The Council is yet to table the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari before the General Assembly of IPAC for proper debate and consideration vis a vis the merits and or demerits of such nominations.

“While we respect the fundamental rights of individual political Parties to freely express their opinions and views with regards to burning national issues, it remains reprehensible for a person to issue unguided statements on behalf of IPAC without authorization by the National executive body or the assembly of the full council.

“The office of National Chairman IPAC, as claimed by Leonard Nzenwa in the said publication, is unknown to both the Code of Conduct for the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria and the Law.

“We call on the general public to disregard such unfortunate statement, as such never emanated from the leadership of the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, IPAC.”

Vanguard