I Remain IPAC Chair In C’River -Bisong
2 min read
Godwin AJOM, Calabar
The Inter party Advisory Council (IPAC), in Cross River state headed by Mr Anthony Bisong has split, with the emergence of a factional chairman, Chief Edet Okon. But Anthony Bisong insists he remains the chairman. Bisong was alleged to have been sacked by Okon’s exco.
Okon said the body took the decision to sack Bisong following his involvement on the controversy surrounding BVAS machines meant for the 2023 elections in the state and his insistence on inspecting the BVAS machines sent to Cross River State, amongst other issues.
“The leadership of IPAC met and considered it expedient to elect me as their new leader. We therefore warn all troublemakers to keep-off Cross River state, Cross River state is indeed in the hands of God.
“We have viewed Anthony Bisong’s actions of late to be that of a dancer dancing to an individual drummer, whose drum beating and lyrics can only be heard by him. He has been holding clandestine meetings.”
However, when contacted, Bisong debunked all such information, saying that nothing of such happened either as YPP state Chairman or IPAC state chairman. He blamed the alleged sack and suspension on the state government who he alleged was trying to engineer his removal as IPAC chairman due to the IPAC’s firm stand against election rigging in the 2023 elections.
His words: “It’s not IPAC as a body; that statement is from the Independent, Internal Arbitrary Council(IIAC) of IPAC, it is not the IPAC I Chair as a body. There have never been a time that YPP under my leadership had a challenge, we don’t have any issue and there are processes of removing a chairman, not through a press conference.
“ A chairman is removed and validated by the national leadership of a party and a fresh chairman will be sent to Abuja for onward transmission to the state, but all that hasn’t been done because there is no problems in the party.
“Their target is because there is desperation going on by the APC led administration, to change the leadership of IPAC because of the strong position we have taken, which they know might affect their stake in elections. Do they remove IPAC chairman in a beer parlour, without an election conducted at INEC secretariat, by the national leadership of IPAC?
“This is being done by the state government to save their stake from the position of IPAC against election rigging but we maintain our position.”