C'River APC Orders Political Appointees Interested In LG Polls To Resign Within 24hrs As Zoning, Gender Balance Top Agenda
Ndifereke BASSEY
The Cross River state All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed all political appointees interested in contesting the local government elections processes to resign with close of official work today, September 26, 2024.
The party in a statement signed by the Hon. Emmanuel Edem Inyang, JP, State Publicity Secretary, disclosed that state caucus as contained in Article 12. 10 and members of the local government area/area council caucus as contained in Article 12. 15 of the APC 2021 Constitution as amended, will be inaugurated next week.
According to the statement, the caucuses will midwife the electioneering process with a view to building consensus amongst aspirants based on possession of requisite legal/constitutional qualification, the imperative for zoning, competence and capacity and Gender Balance.
The statement read in part: "Consequent upon the Publication of the Notice of Election/Release of Time Table by the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission ( CROSIEC ), pursuant to the expression of intent and readiness of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to fully participate in the forthcoming Local Government Elections on the 26th of October 2024, and in line with the fundamental requirement for Aspirants who are Public Servants or Political Appointees to resign one month before the election, the State Executive Committee of our party has directed all Political Appointees, Civil Servants and Party Executives who intend to aspire for Chairmanship or councillorship positions to resign before the close of work today, September 26, 2024 and must present acknowledgment copy of the letter of resignation to the office of the State Legal Adviser at the state secretariat headquarters of the party before 6 pm today.
"Members of the state caucus as contained in Article 12. 10 and members of the local government area/area council caucus as contained in Article 12. 15 of the APC 2021 Constitution as amended, shall be inaugurated next week to midwife the electioneering process with a view to building consensus amongst aspirants based on possession of requisite legal/constitutional qualification, the imperative for zoning, competence and capacity, Gender Balance etc.
"Candidates for chairmanship and councillorship shall emerge through consensus based on the principles of equity, justice and fairness.
The party shall in due course issue its guidelines, time table, and schedule of activities.
"While aspirants are at liberty to commence consultations with relevant stakeholders, for the forthcoming election, only the local government area caucus under the leadership of the chapter chairmen in the respective local government areas are the only organ empowered with the authority and power to convene any party meeting concerning the decision on zoning and all issues regarding the nomination of councillors and council chairmen for onward submission to the state executive committee of the party before the final decision to be taken by the state caucus where the Governor and leader of the party will be in attendance."
The party assured that list of co-opted caucus members at the local government and State level, the proposed Elders Advisory Council at the local government, senatorial, and state levels shall be published in due course.
The party enjoined members to comply with the tight election timetable released by CROSIEC as all officers, executives of the party at the ward, LGA, state, and zonal levels, aspirants, and stakeholders to be prepared for emergency meetings commencing today.
