PATRICK ABANG, Calabar –
The newly elected chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Ambassador Ogar Osim has pledged that his executive will work towards ensuring that the 2023 general elections is freed of violence and bloodshed.
Ambassador Osim made the pledged at the end of his election at INEC headquarters Calabar.
“Apart from looking at establishing a functional Secretariat, we will majorly engage all the active political parties in the state, so that we will have a very peaceful, free and fair general election next year.
“We want to ensure that violence is not allowed and that nobody’s blood will be spilled as a result of the election.”
Osim said ‘servant leadership and teamwork’ shall be the hallmark of his leadership at IPAC.
He disagreed that his election was rancorous, adding that it was only his predecessor who is chairman of Young Progressives Party (YPP), Anthony Bissong that expressed unhappiness when he saw that the voters were overwhelmingly for him.
Bissong had said the processes were not thorough and appeared that the team from Abuja had interest.
But the National legal adviser of IPAC, Barrister Julius Abure who presided as chairman of election committee from Abuja, said the entire processes were very thorough and transparent.
He said they had to reschedule the time for overall convenience of all stakeholders, including INEC and security officials.
“The election was conducted peacefully and satisfactorily. But if there is any aggrieved members, they are free to utilise all legal processes to challenge. Ogar Osim and his exco were freely and peacefully elected.”
Abure said IPAC is one indivisible entity and called on the new exco to work together with the national and state officers.
He cautioned that there should be no cause for crisis.
One time chairman of IPAC in the state and special adviser to state governor on Inter-Party Affairs, Sunday Michael said they will work with the new exco.
He denied that government had any interest in the election.
He explained that INEC had the authentic list of participating parties which was used for the election which reason some of the candidates were jolted.
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