EBSIEC boss denies being PDP member
NAN-H-43
EBSIEC
By Chukwuemeka Opara
Abakaliki, Jan. 27, 2017 (NAN) Chairman of the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) Mr Jossy Eze, has denied being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Eze made the denial on Friday in Abakaliki at a news conference on the commission’s preparation for the April 22 local council polls in the state.
According to him, other members of the commission are also no longer members of the ruling party in the state.
“Any person appointed into a commission such as this is mandated by law to resign and steer from all party bias and sentiment.
“I and other members of the commission have done so, as we are truly independent and non-partisan’’, he said.
Eze stressed that the law had provided appropriate punishment on any official of the commission found guilty of compromise during the elections.
“All of us swore oaths of office which we should seriously abide to for the polls to achieve the desired transparency and credibility.
“The commission is also not under the influence of the state government or any political party as we should provide a level-playing ground for all parties to succeed.
“The process would be very transparent that those who feel aggrieved can seek redress as opposition parties win election these days,” he said.
He urged the various political parties participating in the polls to settle all internal differences to make the process easy for the commission.
“We would not allow parties to submit contrasting lists to us as we would only use those approved by their national leadership or the courts.
“We don’t know the number of political parties participating in the elections as this would be made clear when they procure and submit their nomination forms from us and conclude their primaries,” he said.
Eze remarked that the commission was not in a haste to conduct the elections, because it wanted to conduct an election in which the people would be happy.
“We are not complaining of the N216million released for the elections by the government as no electoral body can say it received sufficient funds to conduct elections.
“We are not currently talking of reviewing the prices of the nomination forms due to high cost of materials as the polls would be conducted whether 50 or one party is involved’’, he said.
Stakeholders including representatives of political parties, security agencies, opinion leaders among others, attended the briefing.
The political party representatives used the occasion to appeal for the reduction of the nomination forms pegged at N500, 000 for chairmanship and N100, 000 for councillorship positions. (NAN)
RCO/GOM/MZA
Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Maharazu Ahmed
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