Plateau LG election: PDP alleges irregularities

AS people of Plateau State await results of local government elections conducted on Wednesday in 13 out of the 17 local government areas of the state, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has alleged irregularities and impunity by the State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) in collaboration with the All Progressive Congress.

Even as the All Progressive Congress (APC) said the allegations were baseless and ranting of a sinking political party and advised PDP to stop crying wolf where there is none.

According to a statement signed the Plateau State PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr John Akans, PDP alleged it had it on good authority that results of the local government election have already been written by officials of PLASIEC under the supervision of APC.

“Hours after elections should have started today, Result Sheets have not been given to the electoral officers at the various Polling Units.

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Rather, only duplicated written results have been dispatched to the Polling Units. This is a heinous plot hatched by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in collaboration with PLASIEC. It has further exposed the desperation of the Lalong government to grab and retain power at all costs. APC is really an anti-people congress!

” Plateau people should know right away that what is happening today in thirteen (13) local government areas is not an election but an extension of APC’s already existing imposed local government officials on the people”.

It said that was why the Peoples Democratic Party challenged PLASIEC’s impunity in court when it started implementing its rigging plans by appointing Electoral Officers outside the commission Contratry to section 2 of PLASIEC Law which defines the appointment of an electoral officer as a staff of the commission.

In a swift reaction to the allegations, the State Secretary of APC in the state, Alhaji Bashir Sati Musa said PDP on the Plateau was simply employing defeatist strategy to justify its lack of preparation for the election adding that the allegations raised by the PDP were baseless and fraught with mischief to tarnish the image of APC.

“It is a defeatist attitude, election has not ended they are alleging rigging. Elections materials were distributed in their presence, nobody complained that sensitive and none materials were not distributed, I believe they are just crying wolf where there is none in order to get attention and people sympathy.

“This is a trivial issue, PDP is just crying wolf where there is none, people are used to the antics of the party. When agents were recruited, the party did not complain, why now that they are on the field, I am advising Plateau people to ignore them” he said.

He enjoined the PDP not to do anything that will heat up the polity.