IFEANYI EZUGWU, ENUGU.
Candidates of the leading opposition parties in Enugu state will not participate in the November 2nd local government council’s election in the seventeen councils of the state.
The Chairman, Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission, ENSIEC, Mr. Bona Eneh, made this known yesterday while addressing newsmen on the commission’s level of readiness to conduct the forthcoming council election.
ENSIEC boss revealed that, “all is now set for the Nov. 2nd council polls. Sensitive materials have been deposited at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Office in Enugu. The non-sensitive materials have been delivered at the council headquarters in all the councils of the state.
“Six political parties indicated interest to contest the election. The parties wrote us letters and invited us to come and supervise their party primaries. Some of the parties never had existing offices in the council areas and so we could not access them when we came for their primaries”.
He further explained that most of the disqualified candidates of opposition parties lost out during the screening exercise conducted by ENSIEC because of their academic qualification, age difference and inability to present a valid income tax clearance.
Continuing, he listed the parties that expressed interest to be part of the council polls to include; All Progressives Congress, APC, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Labour Party, LB, Africa Liberation Party, ALP, National Solidarity Party, NSP, and People Democratic Party, PDP.
Only PDP will be running for Chairmanship elections in the seventeen council areas of the state.
