By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The People’s Democratic Party, PDP has won all the 17 local government areas of Plateau State, the State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, announced on Thursday.
PLASIEC Chairman, Plangji Cishak who declared the winners also handed them the certificate of return in a brief ceremony at the PLASIEC headquarters in Jos.
The winners were subsequently sworn- in but he State Acting Publicity Secretary of the APC, Shittu Bamaiyi, said, ‘The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission is a total disappointment and a disaster as far as the 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. The processes began with well-crafted strategies comprising the elections by both PLASIEC and the PDP-led government through all forms of malpractices 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. For example, local government areas such as Kanke, Kanam, Wase, Shendam, Langtang-South, Bokkos, Jos-North, Pankshin, and Bassa were given about 20% of the required ballot papers.
“Despite the repeated requests for more ballot papers, PLASIEC refused to burge 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, although sensitive materials were brought to the Wards but not put to use on the alleged instructions from “above”… The APC is asking its supporters to remain calm and peaceful and not to take the laws into their hands, as the Party is determined to do everything within the law to ensure that the right things are done.”
