By Balimwor Ekpe
The Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) has released the time table and schedule of activities for the 2024 local Government election in Cross River State, declared that elections would hold on October 26th, 2024 in all eighteen(18) local Government area’s of the State.
Addressing stakeholders of political parties, security agencies and press men this afternoon at CROSIEC headquarters in calabar, the Chairman Dr. Ekong Edet Boco said the yearning of the Democratic structures of the State has reached its crescendo, as response to the loud call of keeping with the provisions of section 197(1)(b) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999(as amended), the Cross River State Government reconstituted the state Independent electoral commission (CROSIEC) with the aim of organizing, supervising and to undertake the 2024 local Government councils election in the State.
Boco further narrated that since the return of democratic system of government in 1999, about four(4) successful local Government elections have been conducted, thus in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2020.
“Election is not an event, but a process and as such, the process of election is often undertaken by different institutions, therefore the elections management body, Government, political parties and their members, the electorate, judiciary, civil society organizations and the press all share in the success and failure of the electoral process”, he concluded, further solicited for co-operation, support and understanding from all parties involved in the election process.
The chairman of Ipac, Labour party, ypp and Apc expressed their readiness to participate in the elections, also the State Chairman of PDP Barr. Venatius Ikem assured the Crosiec chairman of his party’s participation but in protest as the Crosiec timetable conflicts an equitable election process, expressed displeasure in the hasty conduct of the election which he referred to as multiple adjustment that are aberration to democracy, as his party shall be challenging the constitution of CROSIEC for initiating a process that is not in conformity with the electoral laws of Nigeria and may be perilous to democracy.
