SOME POLITICAL PARTIES IN IMO STATE HAVE DECLINE PARTICIPATION IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION.
Loca
l Government election is to be conducted in the twenty seven Local Government Areas and over six hundred newly created Council Wards in Imo State tomorrow.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo who made this known in a press release made available to newsmen in Owerri said this was to enthrone democracy in the third tier of government.
The Governor noted that Twenty Seven Local Government Council Chairmen would be elected while Councilors would emerge in the six hundred and thirty four wards covering all the autonomous communities in the state.
The statement noted that the State House of Assembly recently amended the laws which expanded the Council Wards from three hundred and five to over six hundred to draw government nearer to the people.
Meanwhile major opposition political parties in the state say they are not participating in the election, they described as gross illegality.
The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, in the state, Mr. Damian Opara described the exercise as illegal noting that the Supreme Court had issued an order restraining the State government from conducting Local Government Elections pending the determination of an appeal challenging the June Two thousand and eleven dissolution of elected Chairmen and Councilors in the state by Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Spokesperson for the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Dr. George Nkworji told Radio Nigeria that the party was boycotting the election due to faction existing in the state wing of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo said government was not aware of any court injunction restraining the election and urged the Umbrella Party to make such document public.
Our Correspondent reports that the State Independent Electoral Commission was yet to issue any statement regarding the election which had been postponed twice within the last four months.
CHINAZO ILECHUKWU