The Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) has bowed to calls for a postponement of local government election in the state earlier scheduled to hold on December 17, 2016.

ABSIEC says the new date for the conduct of the election is Wednesday, December 21, 2016.

Chairman of the Commission, Retired Justice Igbozuruike Akomas, in a statement issued in Umuahia and made available to newsmen, explained that ABSIEC took the decision in response to many demands of majority of the stakeholders, especially the call by Abia State chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), demanding for postponement of the poll.

The statement added that the shift was to allow substituted candidates enough time to market their manifesto and to provide level playing field for all involved in the process.

In view of this development, ABSIEC said that electioneering would now stop on Monday, December 19, 2016.

It would be recalled that IPAC had, last Monday, called on ABSIEC to postpone the Abia Council by, at least, two weeks, citing short period allowed for campaigns and huge cash being charged by the commission as fees.

IPAC demanded for the shift to allow for level playing ground for all the parties and their candidates.

Justice Akomas noted that ABSIEC was a product of the constitution and as a democratic institution, it had to yield to the appeals after wide consultations and in the exercise of powers conferred on the Commission by the constitution and pursuant to the Abia State Local

Government Amendment Law 2006.

“The election to the chairmanship and councillorship in the 17 Local Government Areas and 292 Electoral wards of the state will now take place on December 21, 2016 was taken after wide consultations,” part of the statement read.

The Commission advised all the political parties to adjust their programmes accordingly to agree with the new date, “as it is intended to accommodate the interest of all political parties and as a demonstration of provision of level playing field for all participants in the electoral process.”

The ABSIEC Chairman assured all Abians of the resolve of the commission “to deliver on a free, fair and credible local government polls in the state on Wednesday, December 21, 2016.”

•Photo shows Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

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