The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has announced its decision to abstain from the upcoming local government election scheduled for October 5th.
Tony Okocha, Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee in Rivers State, made this declaration during an interview with DAILY POST, citing significant flaws in the election process.
Okocha highlighted that the APC, under his leadership, was not included in the stakeholders' meeting organized by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) on Monday, where the election date was formally announced.
"We were not invited to the stakeholders’ meeting. This exclusion points to the flaws in the election process," he said.
In response to reports suggesting that all political parties were represented at the stakeholders' meeting, Okocha clarified that no legitimate member of the APC was in attendance.
"No legitimate member of the APC attended the meeting," he affirmed, dispelling any claims of the party's involvement.
While emphasizing the APC's stance, Okocha noted that the party would not completely boycott the election but would instead take legal measures to halt the proceedings until the existing issues in the state are resolved.
"We will not boycott the election outright, but we will pursue legal actions to ensure the election does not proceed until the necessary issues are addressed," he stated.
The DAILY POST recalls that the tenure of the former local government chairmen expired on June 17, prompting Governor Siminalayi Fubara to appoint Caretaker Committee Chairmen to fill the administrative gap left by the outgoing officials.
This move has also been a point of contention for the APC, further complicating the political landscape in Rivers State.