Posted by By PETRUS OBI, Abakaliki on
In Ebonyi, a woman holds sway as the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC), and with N480 million in her kitty, Mrs. Adeline Idike, says her commission is set for the elections.
In Ebonyi, a woman holds sway as the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC), and with N480 million in her kitty, Mrs. Adeline Idike, says her commission is set for the elections.
Idike, a lawyer, says she will adhere strictly to rules that guide electoral process in the conduct of the March 27 local government polls.
She told Daily Sun in Abakaliki that the commission will disqualify any candidate involved in violence and therefore, urged the political parties to observe all the guidelines for the elections.
Over 334 buses, 36 motorcycles and 6,000 ad hoc staff will be used for the polls which she says will be free, fair, credible and acceptable to a majority of Ebonyi people.
"We have procured the necessary materials for the elections, ranging from boxes to ballot papers, sensitive and non-sensitive ones. We also procured thumb-printing tapes, an innovation to what we had in other elections in the past."
The commission, she says, has also procured aprons for identification of ad-hoc staff and has commenced a well planned sensitization programme for the electorate at the three zonal levels of the state.
"We want to let the electorate in the nooks and crannies of the state to know how prepared we are for the elections and we hope that the electorate will come out to vote and be voted for."
She describes local government elections as the bedrock of other elections, stressing that her commission is not serving any special party but out to conduct a credible election.
On the controversy surrounding the newly created local governments, she notes that, "as far as local government elections are concerned, we don't have the locus to decide which local government is qualified to be included in the election.
"Based on the fact of what local government structures are, our decision stems from the law. I am working with the law, which comes from the State House of Assembly.
"I have no fear in saying that as at now, the law I have to work with is amendment of law 3 of 1999 which was amended by law 1 of 2002 by the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
"That law, says Ebonyi State has 34 local government areas. That is what I have presently. Until I have something different, I can't talk of local government in Ebonyi State other than the 34."
Mrs. Idike explains that the commission had to re-print ballot papers to accommodate 30 political parties. "The first ballot papers we procured were when we were preparing for elections for six parties. Apart from that, all other materials we procured are still relevant, like boxes, election bags and apron."
She urges the political parties to work hard, and shun violence, warning that any candidate that gets involved in violence will be disqualified.