By John Nwokocha Abuja
Inter Party Advisory Council IPAC weekend dismissed rumours that factions exist in the Council, saying IPAC is a unified, indivisible body under the Dr Leonard Nzenwa leadership.
Reiterating is the authentic leadership of IPAC, Nzenwa charges state chapters of the council to disregard statements by self imposed leadership adding their actions are desperate intended to undermine its efforts to promote democracy across Nigeria.
Describing their action as distraction, Nzenwa in a statement signed by IPAC’s
National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major, challenges those they call desperate politicians whose political parties were deregistered by INEC to respect orders, injunctions and rulings of courts of competent jurisdictions while seeking redress in the aggrieved areas.
The statement directs its members to ignore notices of meeting and related assignments by the ‘desperate politicians’, unless by ones directed by the Nzenwa led exco which is the umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria recognized by the lndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC) since February 2020 when he assumed office following the deregisteration of 74 political parties on 6th February 2020.
“His leadership of the Council was also affirmed by a court in Abuja.
“The defunct Chief Peter Ameh leadership of the Council whose political party, Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) was affected by INEC deregistration exercise ceased to exist from February 6, 2019 when his party and 73 others were deregistered. Despite all antics to frustrate handover property and administrative asset of IPAC by him and his team over several months, he handed over to to Dr Leonard Nzenwa’s leadership on 18th June 2020, under full glare of the media. And the property and administrative asset of the Council is still held and overseen by the Nzenwa led leadership.
“The early-morning, hurriedly arranged and purported second Peter Ameh led handover to Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu recently was a smokescreen and face saving device to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public that he was still chairman of the Council. He merely played to the gallery, seeking political relevance.
“Nzenwa’s leadership has effectively been piloting affairs of the Council and has taken it to greater heights with recent Edo voter education, seminar, sensitization and mobilization of electorate for the just concluded governorship election in the State, including effort to ensure that the Edo and Ondo Polls hold in spite of opposition it by same group.
“All State Chapters of the Council across the Country should ignore any directive from a now party-less Chief Peter Ameh and Chief Okey Nwosu which he purported to have handed over as they are unknown by law nor recognized.
“IPAC remains as one entity and urges all deregistered political parties to seek redress in court and also respect orders, injunctions and judgments of courts of competent jurisdictions.
To act contrary to this exposes the promoters of this culture of unruliness as brigands and thugs that should not find a place in the comity of reasonable human beings.
“IPAC will comply with the Supreme Court judgment on the deregistration matter pending before it, and urges parties in the appeal to calm down in the interest of our emerging democracy”. The statement reads.
