Enugu IPAC crisis worsens as faction goes to court

The crisis rocking the Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, in Enugu State has worsened as one of the factions has approached the court seeking to be recognized as the duly elected executive.

Deputy Chairman of the group, Mr. Ken Onyekaonwu, who disclosed this during the group’s meeting at the Enugu office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Thursday, said the illegality perpetrated by another faction of IPAC in the State would not be allowed to stand.

He said, “You were witnesses to the fraud perpetrated here during the IPAC election on the 6th of November, 2018. Impersonation of the highest level was introduced into the election and that led to factionalization of the IPAC.

“So, we have taken steps over this matter, because the illegality cannot stand. We have gone to court and asked it to declare us as authentic leadership of IPAC. We also wrote a petition to the police asking it to arrest the impostors.”

Onyekaonwu, who is the State chairman of the United Progressive Party, UPP, also called for a probe of the IPAC finances, insisting that the N12,000 balance was unacceptable.

“Do you also know that we contributed 5,000 on day of that election but till date we don’t know what become of it; we want an account of that money,” he added.

On the strength of his faction, he said, “You can see, we have 43 parties operating in Enugu State and with us, there are over 30 of them. That leaves no one in doubt that this is the authentic IPAC in Enugu State.”

He announced that apart from the suit before the court, his group has equally written the Enugu State Police Command seeking the prosecution of those who committed one fraud or the other during the IPAC election.

The group told the police in the petition that contrary to legal instrument stipulating how such election should be held, “surprisingly on the 6thday of November 2018, in the course of the IPAC election in Enugu State, the immediate past chairman of IPAC, Barr. John Nwobodo brought in some people who are not qualified to vote in the IPAC election.”

They said in the petition that Nwobodo, a member of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, brought some of his members and they claimed membership of various other political parties for the purposes of the election.

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