BY ENYIM ENYIM

ONITSHA—Barely four days to the rescheduled January 11, 2014, local government election in Anambra State, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has reiterated its stand to back out of the poll on ground that it was a rape on democracy.

However, the Labour Party in the state, led by Mr. Sam Onyearugbulem, yesterday differed from the APC position, saying the party would participate in the poll because local government election in the area had been long over due.
Addressing journalists after a stakeholders meeting of the party in Awka, the governorship candidate in the November 16 ,2013 governorship poll, Senator Chris Ngige, who read out the communique, said the party decided to boycott the election because the state electoral body, ANSIEC, headed by an acting chairman, Mr. Sylvester Okonkwo, was ill-equipped to conduct the election.

File: Guber Election: 85 year old Chief Michael Iwoba, a pensioner being accredited to vote at Eri Primary School, Aguleri.

Ngige said:  “ In reviewing the local government election fixed for January 11, 2014, the meeting was of the view that ANSIEC has planned a charade in the name of council poll.  There is no revised and authentic voters register given to parties.

“ From reports from ANSIEC, it became clear that it is not even sure of the three voters register from INEC it would use. The party, therefore, resolves that our local government candidates and councillors are directed not to participate in the election. our party has also withdrawn from all participation in all the processes until further notice.”

On Labour Party’s position on the poll, its chairman, Onyearugbulem, said his party decided to participate because the state for the past 14 years had not had local government election to bring about democracy and good governance to the people in the rural areas.

He said.: “We are participating in the election. We have been clamoring for this election and however badly conducted it is going to be we will participate. Half bread is better than none,”