Yakubu Busari, Jos
The Deputy Chairman of the People Democratic Party ,PDP, in Plateau State, Amos Gombi Goyol has alleged a dangerous plot by Governor Simon Lalong and the APC “to destabilise our democratic journey.”
Speaking to journalists in Jos during a press conference held at the Plateau state chapter of the party on Tuesday, he accused the government of frustrating attempts by the opposition party to seek legal redress over what he considered the brazen and blatant manipulation of the election outcome in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
He said: “You would recalled that on the 10th of October 2018, the state government through its agency Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) conducted the local government election in thirteen of the seventeen LGAs. The election was characterized by brazen and highly provocative irregularities leaving us with no option than to approach the tribunal set up to handle petitions arising from the election.”
According to him, “our goal as the true democratic representatives of the downtrodden and oppressed people of Plateau was and still remains to retrieve our stolen mandate freely and willingly given to us by the people.
“ We therefore saw the compelling need for additional panels to handle the these petitions within the time frame legally allowed otherwise most of the cases would lapse by effluxion.
He disclosed that the PDP petition to “ the Honorable Chief Judge of Plateau through a letter dated December 3, 2018 for additional panels to be constituted to compliment the others has been acknowledged and replied to by the Judge. We remain hopeful that he will act accordingly.”
He accused PLASIEC of further attempts to frustrate the work of the tribunal and advised the government to stop the electoral body for the interest of peace.
“PDP is also concerned that even while we are challenging the irregularities through legal means, PLASIEC is still very busy working on ways to circumvent the law. We have it on good authority that it is attempting to perfect its false and doctored results sheets by offering between five-to-ten thousand Naira each to presiding officers and party agents who took part in the election for their signatures to authenticate these clearly fake documents.”
No PLASIEC official, approached for reaction, would say a word.
