By Willibroad Nformi
Oku SDF councillors recently refused to quit the council after the CPDM party was declared victorious at last July 22 municipal elections.
At an ex-officio council session convened by Bui Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, to elect the council executives, Tuesday, August 7, the 41 incumbent SDF councillors virtually remained firmly in the seats prepared for the councilors-elect.
Embarrassed, the CPDM councillors who were anxious to elect their executives hung around in the corridors of the council hall until space was provided for them on the stage by the Oku administrative authorities.
Opening the session at about midday in the presence of the CPDM Central Committee special envoy, Dr. Peter Shey Mabu, and Oku Fon Sintieh II, Bui SDO, Daniel Panjouno, declared that according to the results presented to him by the Council Supervisory Committee, the CPDM had been declared winner.
In compliance with the law, his mission to Elak was thus to supervise the election of the Mayor and his deputies.Panjouno faulted the SDF for failing to produce an authentic acknowledgement receipt from the Supreme Court for the 'claimed' petition the party purports to have written.
But the SDF councillors explained that according to the law the Supreme Court issues acknowledgement receipts only for complaints on legislative and not municipal council petitions.
But the outgoing councillors accused the SDO of flouting the law and walked out in protest.
The outgoing Mayor who doubles as a traditional authority, Thaddeus Tata Ndishangong, also walked out.

New Mayor
Meanwhile in the elections that followed, 49-year-old Chief Warder, Jerome Njioh Ngum, was elected Mayor. Patrick Keming Soh, Stephen Njung Gwagsi, Margaret Dzelambong Dorr and Ruphine Nomok Mbunda as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Deputy Mayors, respectively will assist Ngum.
In his acceptance speech, Ngum described his victory as the dawn of a new era for the Oku people. He pleaded to all and sundry to put all hands on deck for the development and prosperity of the municipality.
"I will need the contributions of all, contributions in terms of ideas,
material and otherwise for the good of the municipality," the new Mayor
said.
No Handing Over
After the elections, the outgoing council executive was nowhere to be
seen. But the SDO compelled the Municipal Treasurer to present his
financial documents for closure.
When the outgoing Mayor was sent for, he refused to sign any document
nor did he hand over the keys of his office. Rather, he told the SDO
that his life was at stake if he handed over the keys of the council
office to anyone.
He said what was happening was a masquerade, blaming the situation on the Oku and Bui administrative authorities. But Bui III CPDM Section, President Patrick Keming Soh, said there was no contradiction as the final results declared his party victorious.
He said the SDF had the right to petition the Supreme Court but that they had no right to block the council from functioning.
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