Plateau LG election: APC crying wolf, says ex-Senator
From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Former Senator representing Plateau North under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Simon Mwadkwom, has said that the recently concluded local government election in the state met the highest standard of transparency, free and fair.
He accused the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) of crying wolf where there’s none.
Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) had returned all the candidates of the PDP in the 17 local government areas as duly elected.
They were subsequently inaugurated by Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Thursday.
APC, through its State Chairman, Hon. Rufus Bature, had accused the PDP of rigging the election in favour of its candidates.
However Mwadkwom, speaking to newsmen in Jos on Monday said that the PDP didn’t go the way of the practice in other states where ruling parties skew election results in favour of their candidates.
He said the opposition parties won councillorship positions in the election and implored them to be brave in defeat.
He said, “The elections, as far as my rating is concerned, was conducted free and fair. And winners are emerged. So, we have leaders at the grassroots at the moment. And I want to assure you with what the governor is doing, coming to add the value of those that have been elected as local
government chairmen and councillors, you will see progress, you will see development, you will see more peace and unity in Plateau State, particularly the Northern Zone.
“I want to sincerely applaud the people of Plateau State and especially my senatorial zone. And as a politician, the truth is that there is no victory or there is no advantage.
“It is victory for the people of Plateau State. It is victory for the people of Northern Zone. I want to congratulate the people of Plateau State, particularly the Northern Zone for peaceful conduct of the elections.
He urged losers to seek redress at the courts, saying, “The unfortunate thing with our democracy is that the court system is part of the electoral process. That’s just the truth.
“If you look at the issue that has to do with the election, the court is part of the process of the election. So if they feel aggrieved, it is their entitlement to go to court.
“But I think the courts have learned their lessons with our judgments. No court will just, for whatever reason now, just take somebody’s mandate and give it to you.
“The best thing that the governor of Plateau State has done is to allow for free elections. And that has proven him as a democrat, a true democrat.”
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