From Yakubu Busari, Jos
The Association of Chairmen of the People Democratic Party, PDP, in Plateau State has threatened to sue the State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, over failure to conduct election into four Local Government Councils in the state.
The four councils are of Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi.
Addressing a press conference at Langfield in Jos South Local Government Council, spokesman of the group, Hon. Aminu Zang, said people in the affected local governments are being disenfranchised from participation in democratic governance and deprived of equitable distribution of the dividends of democracy.
He said: “The forum of the chairmanship and councillorship candidates under the platform of our great party- The People’s Democratic Party (P.D.P) representing the good people of Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi And Riyom Local Government Areas are for the umpteenth time expressing our dismay and disappointment over the failure by the plateau state government and PLASIEC to conduct elections in the four local government areas.
“Local Government is the third tier of government constitutionally created to serve legislative and executive functions at the local government council level. It is the bastion of grass roots development touching on the lives of its constituents as the closest to them.
“You would recall that the state government through its PLASIEC set in motion the process for the conduct of elections to the various offices hitherto vacant”.
“PLASIEC now screened the candidates who were made to pay various mandatory administrative fees as conditions for eligibility.
“This singular condition estranged such persons from their means of livelihood.
“The long awaited elections were then conducted on the 10th October 2018 but in 13 of the 17 local government council areas excluding Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South And North adducing “security reasons.”
“The time of the election, relative peace had returned to these areas as against some other more volatile areas. We are thus tempted to think there are other reasons informing the position as against what was being bandied.
“We are living witnesses to the demilitarisation of our towns and cities by the dismantling of checkpoints and roadblocks without any negative consequences.
“Suffice to also mention elections into various offices of the Presidency/National Assembly and Governorship/State Assemblies, which have come and gone successfully.
“The inalienable rights and desires of the peace loving citizens of our respective areas to their choices as enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended) of the republic of Nigeria is being flagrantly violated.
Noting that the setting up of interim management committees to manage our local Governments is an aberration and should have no place in our democratic journey, the group called on Governor Lalong and PLASIEC to “as a matter of urgency consider conducting a transparently free and fair election into the remaining four Local Government Areas.”
“In fact in other climes, steps would have been taken to ameliorate the pain, anguish and plight of the candidates who have suffered untold hardship after abandoning their various means of livelihood in a bid to render service.
They also called for support the party’s elected legislators especially at the state level to join them in the realization of their quest.
The Chairmanship/councillorship candidates forum of Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government are
Hon. Aminu A. Zang; Jos North: Hon. Emmauel Solomon Dung (Gibok),Jos South: Comrade Joshua Chonga; Barkin Ladi (KTD) and Hon. Kim Titus Danga, Riyom
