By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Plateau State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Oliver Tersoo Agundu, has debunked the news making the rounds where he was quoted as saying that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), will participate in the Plateau Re-run elections coming up on February 3, 2024.
Agundu described the news as fake, adding that he was quoted out of contest.
Our correspondent had reported that the Plateau INEC boss had said in an interview, that according to the judgment delivered by the Appeal Court that sacked the Plateau North National Assembly members with a clause that “All Political Parties Will Participate”, only means that the clause will best be interpreted by the National Body of the Commission whose duty is to send to the States the list of Political Parties that will be on the ballot box.
Agundu had also said that with the current Supreme Court judgment that restored the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, it only means that the contending issues of “Party Structure”, is now a nullity but subject to the interpretation of the INEC legal team in Abuja.
He said however, the Plateau PDP has filed a case against the interpretation of the Appeal Court verdict regarding the February 3 elections, adding that the matter will be coming up on Tuesday 23 January 2024.
The INEC boss who spoke in a rejoinder captioned “Re: PDP, All Political Parties eligible to Contest- INEC”, urged the public to disregard the misleading report.
According to him: “The attention of the Plateau State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to reports published in some social media platforms attributed to me as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will participate in the Court-ordered re-run elections in Plateau North Senatorial District and Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency. The report is incorrect and mischievous.
“Nowhere in my written speech at a press conference on the Commission’s preparations for the elections held on Friday 19th February 2024 did I make such allusion.
“In fact, I am aware that some interested parties have filed an action in Court on the matter. Therefore, I could not have commented on a matter that is subjudice.
“The public is advised to discountenance the report as fake news peddled by mischief-makers”, the statement reads.
