From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
The Plateau State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it will not participate in next Saturday’s local government elections re-run in Plateau State.
Accordingly, the Party has instructed its supporters to distance themselves from the so-called re-run elections.
The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) has rescheduled re-run elections in the Kishika ward of Bassa Local Government Area as well as the Jemkur and Turaki wards of Langtang South.
Re-run elections will also be conducted in Gindiri 2 and Kasuwan Ali wards of Mangu Local Government Area and Luukwo ward.
in Qua’an Pan local government.
In a statement signed by the Acting Publicity Secretary, Shittu Bamaiyi, the party resolved that “Since PLASIEC and its paymaster, the Plateau State government, have no respect to the will and choice of the people as well as the tenets of democracy, there was no reason for the APC to give recognition and also re-validate illegality, under whatever guise.
“It is ridiculous and scandalous that the same PLASIEC, which shockingly described the local government elections as transparent, free, and fair, could come up with re-run elections in some selected Electoral Wards of the State.
“As a matter of fact, it could have been neater if the entire elections were nullified based on well-established and genuine complaints arising from the conduct of the elections by some political parties other than the PDP.
“It will be foolhardy, a waste of resources, and a security risk for the APC to further expose its supporters to the so-called re-run because, from all indications, it will be a repeat of what happened last week Wednesday.
“Cases abound where some candidates were declared winners by PLasiec yet not issued with certificates of return, thereby stopping from being sworn-in, just because they are members of the APC.
The Party therefore urged its councillorship candidates and supporters in the affected electoral wards, where the supposed re-run is expected to take place, to disregard PLASIEC’s directives in that regard.
The statement added, “While commending the people of the state, particularly its teeming supporters, for clearly showing the PDP-led government their political direction, the APC is appealing to them to continue to remain calm and peaceful in the face of provocation in the polity.”