Enugu IPAC Crisis Worsens as Faction Heads to Court

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Saturday, December 1st, 2018

Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The crisis rocking the Enugu state chapter of the Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has taken a new twist, as one of the factions has approached the court seeking to be recognized as the authentic and duly elected executive in the state, just as they called for the probing of the association’s finances.

Its Deputy Chairman, Mr. Ken Onyekaonwu, made this known during the group’s meeting at the Enugu office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He vowed that his group would not allow the illegality perpetrated by another faction of IPAC in the State to stand.

According to him, “You were witnesses to the fraud perpetrated here during the IPAC election on the 6th of November 2018. Impersonation of the highest level was introduced into the election and that led to factionalization of the IPAC.

“So, we have taken steps over this matter, because the illegality cannot stand. We have gone to court and asked it to declare us as authentic leadership of IPAC. We also wrote a petition to the police asking it to arrest the impostors.”

Onyekaonwu, who is the state chairman of the United Progressive Party, UPP, also called for a probe of the IPAC finances, stressing that the N12,000 balance was unacceptable.

“Do you also know that we contributed N5,000 on day of that election but till date we don’t know what become of it; we want an account of that money,”

He said his group has the number, stressing that “You can see, we have 43 parties operating in Enugu State and with us, there are over 30 of them. That leaves no one in doubt that this is the authentic IPAC in Enugu State.”

Onyekaonwu further revealed that apart from the suit before the court, his group has equally written the Enugu State Police Command seeking the prosecution of those who committed one fraud or the other during the IPAC election.

He hinted that his group told the police in the petition that contrary to legal instrument stipulating how such election should be held, “surprisingly on the 6th day of November 2018, in the course of the IPAC election in Enugu State, the immediate past chairman of IPAC, Barr. John Nwobodo brought in some people who are not qualified to vote in the IPAC election.”

The petition alleged that Nwobodo, a member of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and the Special Assistant to Enugu state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on Inter party Affairs, brought some of his members and they claimed membership of various other political parties for the purposes of the election.

African Examiner recalled that the November 6th, election of the body which took place at headquarters of INEC in Enugu, was characterized by confusion, as majority of the political parties were accusing Nwobodo, of using his office to manipulate the process which they descried as a charade./