By Steve Oko

The Abia State Chairman of Young People’s Party, YPP, Hon. Chimex Uluocha, has emerged the state Chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC.

Uluocha was elected along other eight members of the IPAC executive in a peaceful election conducted Saturday, at the premises of the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, at Ogurube New Layout, Umuahia.

The new IPAC Chairman who succeeded Hon. Ceekay Igara of the ruling Labour Party, polled 12 votes to defeat his only rival, Ambassador Sunday Onukwubiri of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.

Other new members of the IPAC leadership were: Hon. Prince Onukwuwe, of Zenith Labour Party, Deputy Chairman; Elder Edward Ezenwoke, of Social Democratic Party, SDP, Secretary; and Joseph Ulu of National Rescue Movement, NRM, Publicity Secretary.

Victor Umunna of Allied Peoples Movement was elected the Organising Secretary; while Christian Onyekachi of Youth Party, YP, emerged the Deputy Secretary unopposed.

Others who also emerged unopposed were: Ogbonnaya Uma of Accord party, Treasurer; and Ikenna Edozie of Action Alliance, AA, Legal Adviser.

The state Chairman of African Action Congress, AAC, was elected the Financial Secretary.

The new IPAC exco members were immediately sworn in by the Returning Officer of the election, and National Youth Leader of SDP, Mr Uchechukwu Ogbonna; assisted by Ibrahim Suleiman from Kaduna State.

In his acceptance speech, the new IPAC Chairman, Uluocha, thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him, and promised not to disappoint them.

He also promised to run a transparent, peaceful and result-oriented leadership where all the parties would be carried along.

Later in an interview, the Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ulu, described the exercise as the emergence of a new dawn in the history of IPAC in Abia.

He said that with the new leadership, the era of “picking only few people is over”, assuring that the new exco will work together as a team.

INEC officials, and security agents including personnel of the Department of State Services, DSS; witnessed the peaceful exercise.