A former Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, has kicked against clamours for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct local government elections.
Secondus, who spoke at the first South-South Leadership Conference of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) held in Port Harcourt, argued that the commission is already overburdened.
He said it was wrong for anyone to think of ceding more powers to the Federal Government at a time when citizens are advocating for decentralisation of power and are concerned about the conduct of national elections by the same INEC.
Speaking from his experience as a long-standing politician, Secondus alleged that the national elections conducted by INEC are yet to be credible.
He also advocated for the writing of a new constitution to reflect the desires of the citizens of the country, criticising the current constitution as being fundamentally flawed and inconsistent with the aspirations of Nigerians.
The IPAC conference was chaired by an Ijaw Elderstatesman, Anabs Sara-Igbe who called for a more active role for traditional rulers in the region.
He criticised the lack of constitutional provisions for traditional rulers in the governance of the country.
He advocated for the region’s industrialisation, and urged a united front to voice regional demands amid Nigeria’s economic shift from oil to gas.
Sara-Igbe also emphasised the potential for enhancing food security through agriculture, noting the region’s capacity to supply fish to Africa.
The event, themed “Good Governance and Security As Panacea to Grassroots Development,” is attended by the National leadership of IPAC, as well as Chairmen of Political Parties in the six States of the region.
Other notable attendees included former Minister of Transport, Abiye Sekibo, former Governor, Celestine Omehia, Niger Delta activist, Ann Kio-Briggs, and other personalities.
