The Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee in Plateau State, Patrick Ogbu, has frowned at the refusal of Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to supervise its primaries.
Addressing journalists in Jos, Ogbu stated that it was clear from the correspondence between PDP and PLASIEC, there is a grand plan by PLASIEC to exclude the PDP from participating in the forthcoming local council elections slated for October this year.
According to him: “We wish to put on record that as a party we will resist any attempt to subvert justice and deny our people the opportunity to participate in electing their leaders at the local council level through legitimate and legal means.
“From the exchange of correspondence between the party and PLASIEC, it has emerged clearly that the electoral umpire has devised an agenda to unlawfully exclude PDP from the forthcoming elections.
“Our primaries were peacefully and promptly organised within the timetable and guidelines released by PLASIEC.
“Curiously, PLASIEC refused to issue nomination forms to our legitimate and duly elected candidates. PLASIEC is relying on a purported court order, which has no bearing whatsoever with the local council elections or PLASIEC activities.”
He said PLASIEC is not a party to the case that gave rise to the said court order, and there was no order or injunction from any court restraining PLASIEC from releasing nomination forms to PDP candidates.
Contacted on phone, after the briefing, Chairman of PLASIEC, Chief Fabian Ntung, said he was in transit as he was in Dutse at the time, urging The Guardian to go to the secretariat of PLASIEC.
The commissioner in charge of PLASIEC’s Operation, Patrick Mangin, who later addressed journalists, said all the allegations leveled against the electoral body by PDP were false.
According to him, PDP is in court over internal wrangling and the court had given an injunction that the party be excluded from the exercise at the time pending the final resolution of the court.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has appealed to its members to remain calm, as it has set up an appeal panel arising from the ongoing primaries in the state.
Secretary of the caretaker committee of the party, Mallam Bashir Musa Sati, said following the successful conduct of the APC primary elections, his attention has been drawn to an unauthorised circulation of a fake list of purported winners of the elections on social media.
Speaking with The Guardian, Sati advised members of the party to disregard the message and avoid making statements that will promote the agenda of mischief-makers.
Follow our socials Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google News.
