An important step towards the upcoming September 21 Local Council Polls in Imo State has been taken as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) successfully held their primaries.
The State Chairman of the Party, Amb. Henry Ifeanyi Eluwa, characterized the primaries as peaceful occurrences that occurred in all 27 LGAs and 305 registered INEC Wards in the State on August 3, 2024, following the ISIEC timetable.
Conducted through consensus, the primaries saw all aspirants being returned unopposed, with only three women running for councillorship seats.
The electoral process was overseen by the Head of Election and party monitoring team from Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC), Kingsley Chidi Ubah, who praised the transparency and excellence of the exercise.
Ubah commended the democratic approach the SDP employed for selecting candidates and urged the party to adhere to ISIEC regulations during the main LG Polls.
Addressing party members, Prince Bright Obinna Ekwebelem, the leader and past governorship candidate of the party, emphasized the SDP’s commitment to good governance, internal democracy, and humanity, ensuring support for candidates with serious intents to secure victory.
Ekwebelem asserted, ““SDP is going to take over local government administration in Imo State because it believes in human dignity, development, and progress.”
With satisfaction, State Chairman Eluwa confirmed that the primary elections were successfully held in all 27 LGAs and 305 INEC registered Wards in the state, primarily through consensus and with candidates returned unopposed, ending with a fair collation of results in Owerri on the same day.
Expressing optimism for the council elections, Eluwa declared the party’s readiness to secure majority seats by prioritizing democracy and good governance at the grassroots to enhance the livelihoods of rural communities.
In appreciation of the Governor’s approval for the LG Elections, Eluwa urged ISIEC to ensure upholding free, fair, and peaceful conduct during the council elections.
The SDP remains upbeat on their prospects for victory in the Imo LG polls as they maintain their focus on grassroots democracy and good governance.