By Christiana Ekpa
Tension has subsided for incumbent local government chairmen and 184 ward councillors in Abia State as the Labour Party (LP) has denied reports that they have been disqualified from contesting the November 2 local government election in the state.
Some social media reports on Monday morning claimed that all 17 local government chairmen, popularly known in Abia as mayors, along with their deputies and councillors, had been disqualified from vying for re-election as executive chairmen in the upcoming LGA and councillorship polls.
The reports alleged that the incumbents were banned from contesting the election due to their failure to resign from their positions 30 days before the party primary elections. The reports further cited Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act 2012 and claimed the decision was taken during a stakeholders’ meeting at the home of Governor Alex Otti on Sunday, September 29.
Speaking yesterday however, the Chairman of the Labour Party in Abia State, Emmanuel Nwaeze Oti, denied the reports, stating that the news did not come from his party.
Oti dismissed the report as a rumor, advising the LGA chairmen and the general public to disregard the information.
“No! I said no. What you heard is rumors. I can tell you that the news is a mere rumor.”
It was gathered that the initial unconfirmed reports had caused tension among the LGA mayors, many of whom had already spent money to establish their campaign structures in preparation for the November 2 polls.
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