By Michael Odiah
The Delta State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the State, Hon. Peter Mrakpor Esq. has stated that the state government has no interest in the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Warri depot unit elections, adding that the state is only assisting in creating an enabling environment for the elections as it concerns peace and security.
Hon Mrakpor made known the stand of the State Government Today during a press briefing at the Ministry of Information, stressing that the Delta State Government does not have a candidate of its own nor a preferred candidate as concerns the IPMAN Warri depot unit elections.
According to the Attorney General, the Delta State Security Council held a meeting on the 20th of November 2017 with the two factions of IPMAN and agreed that the State should assist in creating an enabling environment for the elections fixed on the 1st of December 2017, adding that at the end of the meeting, he was appointed to represent the government on a committee which had two members each from both factions (BENJOES and ZENO factions) where an agreement was reached that a verification exercise should take place on the 23rd of November 2017, but on the the 22nd of November, BENJOES faction which is the faction of the incumbent chairman pulled out from the exercise, while the ZENO faction went to the Federal High Court Warri on the 23rd of November to sue the incumbent chairman alongside the Attorney General and others.
Speaking further, Mrakpor said that while one party pulled out with the other going to court, the security council resolved that the best thing is to put the election on hold pending when matters involved are resolved adding that the fundamental issue is whether an incumbent chairman is entitled to an automatic second term or he has to stand for an election against the backdrop of the 1997 amendment constitution of IPMAN which clearly states that there is need for a re-election.
