By Idris Shehu
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Bauchi has thumped up for Governor Bala Mohammed led-administration over its successful conduct of Local Government elections in the state, an exercise it said, defied successive past governments in the last twelve years.
IPAC noted that despite some shortcomings and irregularities in the exercise, the peaceful conduct of the elections itself is yet another feat which the PDP administration in the state should be commended.
The Bauchi State IPAC Publicity Secretary, Comrade Khalid Arewa told Journalists that the council is not against any procedure adopted in the conduct of the elections, but the conduct of the polls itself is yet a landmark for the state government.
“After the conduct of Local Government elections in the state, IPAC met with political parties to hear their views about the exercise, some have criticized the elections, while others showed their satisfaction with its conduct. The meeting however commended the state government over the conduct of the polls after 12 years of its kind. It is a thing to be proud of”, IPAC said.
“The coalition of the political parties in Bauchi state has noted with delight that the conduct of the LG elections by the Governor Bala Mohammed led-administration should be seen as an achievement worthy of emulation by other states that have not conducted such an exercise”, Arewa said.
IPAC explained that regardless of the irregularities in the exercise, the PDP-led government in Bauchi state has kept to its electioneering campaign promise of realizing the conduct of the polls.
“There is no democratic election the world over without any irregularity or its unacceptance by some political elements or parties, hence the last Local Government elections in Bauchi state cannot be an exception, hence it is challengeable by those that it doesn’t favour”
IPAC also commended the electorates for coming out to vote in the councils’ elections in a peaceful manner devoid of any rancour, particularly at the polling units, and urged any party or individual who felt unsatisfied or aggrieved with the elections to seek redress from appropriate authorities or tribunal.
On the recent press conference said to have been held by similar organization tagged IPAC, Arewa said that the so-called IPAC is impersonator or imposter or charlatan, an undesirable body, saying the mimics were among the 22 political parties deregistered by INEC, that couldn’t participate in the recent LG elections.
“So the composition of that so-called IPAC were not even among the registered political parties in the country. So they could not be IPAC, neither were they in the electoral process, they are impersonators, and the real or genuine IPAC is doing everything necessary to stop the so-called IPAC from impersonation”.
Khalid Arewa, who is the Bauchi state chairman of Zenith Labour Party therefore gave the Bauchi state leadership of IPAC to include Hon. Abubakar Sarki as chairman and also chairman of APGA, while Hassan Haruna who is the chairman of ADC party is the IPAC Secretary in the state, among other members of the Bauchi State Inter-Party Advisory Council.
Turning to the peaceful conduct of the Local Government elections in the state, Arewa said, “IPAC stands for peaceful co-existence, and we are advising people to let peace prevails. Let people understand that IPAC commendation to the government is based on its ability to conduct the Local Government elections, we are not preventing any political party to challenge the results of the elections or processes in the conduct of the elections.
“Even we in the Zenith Labour Party, we have our grievances over the conduct of the recent LG elections, but for IPAC as a body, we are okayed with the conduct of the polls.
“We are therefore appealing to the elections petition tribunals to be fair and just in their conduct. The peaceful conduct of the elections without any rancour or molestation is worthy of commendation. It is our fervent hope that Bauchi state will continue to enjoy a peaceful political atmosphere for the nascent democracy to thrive’, IPAC said.
