C/River gov poll: Parties express confidence in INEC

Political parties in Cross River State have expressed confidence in the transparency of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state to conduct credible, free and fair gubernatorial polls on  February 25.

The party chieftains  spoke at their various party secretariats, when the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Mike Igini, paid an on-the-spot-assessment visit to the party secretariats to ascertain their actual existence and presence in the state, as well as their level of preparedness for the election.

They described the visit as the first of its kind by any resident electoral commissioner in the state, which would go a long way in proving the neutrality of the commission.

On his part, the state Chairman of the Democratic Front for a People’s Federation (DFPF), Elder Offiong  Henshaw commended the REC for giving equal opportunity to all the political parties in the state to operate.

Equally, the state secretary of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Mr Paddy Ally, extolled the virtues of Mr Igini, particularly his open mindedness and efforts in creating a level playing field for all politicians to carry out their activities in the state.

Addressing party members at the different offices, Mr Igini reiterated the commission’s commitment to conduct a free and fair election that would be acceptable to all the political parties in the state without any one going to the tribunal.

He affirmed that there would be no need for any party to go to the election petition tribunal if the electoral process was transparent, noting that the commission in the state was pioneering  an election whereby the parties involved  would have no business with tribunals, since every vote would ount.

He said: “We want to pioneer an election conducted in the country that is devoid of resorting to the election tribunal by the political parties after the results have been announced.”