From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau has expressed disappointment with the conduct of last Wednesday’s local government election in the state.
Acting Publicity Secretary, Shittu Bamaiyi, said in a statement that it was surprised that the electoral body could not live up to its promise of conducting a free and fair election.
The statement said, “The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission is a total disappointment and a disaster as far as yesterday’s local government elections are concerned.
“The assurances of transparency, credibility and fairness by Governor Mutfwang and PLASIEC turned out to be a smoke screen for deceit and malpractices.
“This is so because the processes began with well-crafted strategies of comprising the elections by both PLasiec and the PDP-led government through all forms of malpractice and harassment of political opponents.
“PLASIEC kick-started the rigging machinery by the late take-off of elections and the deliberate supply of election materials, particularly ballot papers and results sheets, to the strongholds of PDP opponents.
APC said that in local government areas such as Kanke, Kanam, Wase, Shendam, Langtang-South, Bokkos, Jos-North, Pankshin, Bassa local were given about 20% of the required ballot papers, while the commission refused repeated requests for more ballot papers, but rather asked the disfranchised voters to wait for materials, which never came.
“As if that was not enough, in some areas the elections never took place, despite the fact that sensitive materials were brought to the Wards but not put to use on the alleged instructions from ‘above’.
“Where the elections took place, there were no result sheets, and at the close of the elections, the returning officers absconded without receiving or announcing the outcomes as stipulated by the PLAISEC law.
“In Kanke and Kanam for example, the returning officers abandoned their duty posts in connivance with some top government functionaries without announcing the results.
“Similarly in Shendam, the returning officers were smuggled to the VIP lounge to perpetrate the malpractices but did not find it easy, because the people insisted that the results be announced as enshrined in the Plasiec.
“The security agents in the area had to intervene by dispersing the crowd without any official announcement of the outcomes, but later this morning it is being rumoured that the elections are inconclusive in Shendam local government area.
“Elsewhere in Qua’an Pan, the PLASIEC officials only announced the results of Kurgwi-East and Kwande Wards due to the insistence by the people that the outcomes must be made public at the designated areas as required by the law.
“While the people are still waiting for the so-called Returning Officers to do the needful, it is alleged that the PDP candidates have been summoned to Jos for the swearing-in ceremony.
APC asked its supporters to remain calm, and peaceful and not to take the laws into their own hands, as the party is determined to do everything within the law, to ensure that the right things are done.