C'River: Hundreds of LG Election Aspirants Roll Off Consultations As Assembly Passes CROSIEC Amendment Bill 2024
Ndifereke BASSEY
Following the passage of CROSIEC Amendment Bill 2024 by the Cross River State House of Assembly, hundreds of chairmanship and councilorship aspirants to council polls have intensified their consultations with relevant stakeholders.
From Bakassi to Yala local government areas, aspirants have suddenly woken up and tacitly declaring their intention to take a shot the various parties' primaries, preaching zoning.
Checks across some communities revealed a beehive of political activities and nocturnal meetings by various stakeholders including community leaders, socio-cultural and support groups and within party caucuses on how to chose who represents them at the next-to-be constituted council administration across the 18 local governemnt areas.
Some political god-fathers have oiled their political machinery lobbying for their god-sons while aspirants, especially in APC, have resumed discreet consultations and campaign on community various blogs and group Whatsapp platforms selling their programmes to the people.
Further checks revealed that opposition parties are gearing to square it up with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the poll. A good number of the aspirants, who spoke to THE BEAGLE NEWS office record, since official campaign time table hasn't been released, said the incumbent Governor Bassey Otu is a product of zoning and therefore, should support the zoning arrangements across the various commandments to ensure equity, justice and fairness.
Speaking to THE BEAGLE NEWS, an APC stalwart in Calabar South, Inyang Emmanuel Inyang, said the recent Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local government will bring competition and ginger parties into going for quality candidates who can deliver on mandate. Inyang said any party who thinks of imposing candidates on the people or try to rig the process would be resisted, adding that "this time, the people have been empowered to take back their local government administration."
Recall that Cross River State House of Assembly has passed Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) Amendment Bill 2024.
During the session, presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, the lawmakers deliberated extensively on the Principal Law, amending several sections to align with current realities and to streamline the electioneering process.
The Speaker said the amendment is crucial to expedite action on the conduct of local government elections, noting that the revised law is also designed to check undue excesses, ensuring that elections are conducted fairly and transparently across all party lines.
Key amendments include the revision of the campaign duration for Local Government Elections, now stipulated to be not less than 30 days and no more than 90 days.
Furthermore, Section 20 A(1) of the new law mandates that “all registered political parties intending to hold congresses or primaries for nominating candidates for any elective office in the Local Government Council must give the Commission at least 21 days' notice in writing to attend and monitor such events” Additionally, “Section 29 of the Principal Law was amended to stipulate that a candidate for the office of Chairman shall be deemed duly elected if they are the only candidate nominated and have secured a majority of YES votes, with not less than one-third of the YES votes cast in at least two-thirds of all wards in the Local Government Area.
"If the only candidate fails to be elected under these conditions, a fresh nomination process shall be conducted."
