Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The local government elections results held in Plateau State on Wednesday, October 9th 2024, have been strongly rejected by the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the State, citing irregularities that favored the ruling People’s Democratic Party in the State.
The election results as declared by the State Independent Electoral Body favored all PDP aspirants that contested for the position of Chairmen, an outcome that did not sit well with the APC.
However, speaking at a news briefing in Jos on Saturday, the APC Party Chairman, Hon. Rufus Bature, said that despite the assurances of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), that it will conduct a free and fair election, the actions of the electoral body failed far below expectations.
Bature, who was surrounded, described the elections as the worst in the history of the State.
Expressing grave concerns he described the polls as “Ill- fated”.
According to him: “Right from the onslaught, when the Plateau State government decided to send an executive bill on the amendment of the PLASIEC law, the APC and other discerning minds sensed some sinister motives by the PDP led government in trying to compromise the electoral process.
“when it inserted an omnibus provision which allowed elections results to be announced in the Jos, PLASIEC headquarters, as against the Polling Units, Wards and the local government Council headquarters as the case may be.
“The Plateau State House of Assembly as a result of due diligence and patriotic drive, decided to expunge the malicious provision and replaced it with the former one as contained in the 2017 PLASIEC Law.
“Since then, apprehension and suspicion reigned the air as to the sincerity of the electoral body, and of course the PDP led government’s sincerity to conduct a transparent, free and fair local government elections in the State.
“This State of affairs and fears about the insincerity of the Governor Caleb Mutfwang government to conduct a credible and transparent elections were reinforced and justified,when juxtaposed with the PDP conduct of its primary elections which were marred by bloodbath, maiming and kidnap to the extent that as I am talking to you, cases of imposition of the candidates by the top echelon of the PDP are still pending in Courts.
From that point, people began to express concerns about the sincerity of the PDP led government to conduct credible elections, when it could not organize an internal primary election.
“As if that was not enough, in the heat of the campaigns, a top government functionary including the Speaker of the State of Assembly Gabriel Dewan, arrogantly and openly boasted that the elections are just formalities and that no matter the situations, all PDP candidates would be returned.
“This we protested and raised the red flag on the sincerity of PLASIEC to conduct credible elections.
“To buttress our position, we went as far as mentioning the name of Solomon Marren Yobo, the Governor’s liaison officer in Bokkos who said no matter the votes garnered specifically by APC, PDP’s candidates will be declared winners of the elections. We still have the video clip.
“Unfortunately at all point in time when we raised those concerns with credible facts, PLASIEC Chairman Plangji Cishak and Governor Mutfwang always dismissed our submissions with sugar coated assurances, coloured with sentences punctuated with hypothetical mention of the name of GOD that the elections would be transparent, free and fair.
“What did we get at the end of the day? Last Wednesday”s elections were the worst ever conducted in the political trajectory of Plateau State based on some obvious reasons.
“Fast forward to the distribution of sensitive materials to local government areas and subsequently to various electoral Wards and Polling Units.
“It is a fact that election materials, particularly ballot papers, were grossly inadequate, as polling Units, mostly those perceived as APC strongholds, were deliberately given 10% to 20% of what was required. Furthermore in those earmarked areas, results sheets were not provided at all, for reasons best known to PLASIEC.
“Despite all complaints and presentations made to the electoral officers, nothing changed.
“Added to this unfortunate scenario, was the supply of malfunctioned voting machines which never worked, and in most Polling Units, the machines hardly lasted for more than two hours.
“This we know is a clever way of rigging and also disenfranchising the people”, the statement reads in parts.
