Plateau Council Elections: PDP, APC Bicker over Irregularities
Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
As Plateau State awaits results of local government elections conducted on Wednesday in 13 of the 17 local government areas in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged irregularities and impunity by the state Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) in collaboration with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But the APC has denied the allegation, saying it is baseless and a ranting of a sinking political party, and advised the PDP to stop its defeatist claim.
The PDP in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. John Akans, said it had on good authority that results of the local government elections have already been written by officials of PLASIEC under the supervision of APC.
Akans added that “hours after elections should have started yesterday, result sheets had not been given to the electoral officers at the various polling units.
“Rather, only duplicated written results have been dispatched to the polling units. This is a heinous plot hatched by the APC in collaboration with PLASIEC.
“It has further exposed the desperation of the Governor Solomon Lalong’s government to grab and retain power at all costs. APC is really an anti-people congress!
“Plateau people should know right away that what is happening today in 13 local government areas is not an election but an extension of APC’s already existing imposed local government officials on the people.”
Akans said it was the same reason the PDP had challenged PLASIEC’s impunity in court when it started implementing its rigging plans by appointing electoral officers outside the commission contrary to section 2 of PLASIEC law which defines the appointment of an electoral officer as a staff of the commission.
But reacting to the allegations, the state Secretary of APC, Alhaji Bashir Sati Musa, said PDP on the Plateau was simply employing defeatist strategy to justify its lack of preparedness for the exercise, adding that the allegations raised by the PDP were baseless and mischievous to tarnish the image of the APC.
Musa said: “It is a defeatist altitude. Election has not ended they are already alleging rigging. Elections materials were distributed in their presence, nobody complained that sensitive and none sensitive materials were not distributed. I believe they are just crying wolf where there is none in order to get attention and people’s sympathy.
“People are already used to the antics of the party. When agents were recruited, the party did not complain, why now that they are on the field? I am advising Plateau people to ignore them.”
He also advised the PDP not to do anything that will heat up the polity on the Plateau as APC is a law-abiding party willing and ready to play the game according to the rules.
