LANGTANG NORTH ELECTORAL OFFICER OR A PDP ELECTORAL OFFICER, A MESSAGE TO MRS EDO OCHE AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

After a series of public outcry by democrats and concern Nigerians on the need for electoral reform to correct the abnormalities in our electoral system, the then president Umaru Muusa Yar’Adua took the bull by the horn and set up an “Electoral Reform Committee” headed by Justice Mohammed Uwais on the 28 August, 2007. This committee was saddled with the responsibility to investigate the 2007 elections and to propose reform measures to improve the electoral process in the country.

After receiving memoranda from several individuals and groups by conducting public hearing around the country and commissioning studies that informed its final recommendations, the committee submitted its report on the 11th December 2008. It found that the factors responsible for electoral irregularities, malpractices, disruptions and violence include, among others, the character of the Nigerian state as the arena of electoral contest, negative political culture, weak legal/institutions framework, lack of independence and capacity of electoral management bodies and the existence of weak democratic institutions and processes. And one of the major game changer was the further recommendation that the burden of proof in the case of election petitions should shift from the petitioner to INEC; when challenged, INEC must prove that the elections were free and fair. The recommendations were accepted and a white paper was released to these effects, which gave a new lease to the Nigerian political landscape.

In langtang north local government area, these reforms were emasculated and strangled since the arrival of the present electoral officer. On arrival, the PDP house of representative gave her an apartment she presently occupied which is one indicator that she cannot be neutral and independent. This simply is encapsulated on the fact that ‘’he who calls the piper, calls the tune’’ sad! The compromise became so glaring with totally abuse of ADHOC staff selection processes since her arrival. Mrs Edo Oche, the electoral officer doesn’t call for applications from qualified individuals, rather, she used to just collect list from her boss who are card carrying members of her political party. This action of the electoral officer is a clear negation of the electoral reform measures so recommended by Justice Mohammed Uwais. For instance, how can the electoral officer prove in any court of competent jurisdiction that the election is free and fair after all, in an even she is allow on that trajectory of recruiting ADHOC staff from a single political party? This is because she has neither open for application nor release the lists of applicant and she has started training. How can you put a cat before a horse? We cannot fold our arms and allow it get to that point This time around.

Selling of unclaimed cards to PDP and Poor distribution of voter cards is one ill that has bedeviled the electoral empire in langtang. We heard several people complaining of registering and not getting their cards and other skirmishes. We cannot watch our fledgling democracy being destroyed on partisanship and some sort of parochial sentiment. We have fought so hard to entrench this democracy and the sacrifices cannot go in vain.
On this not note, we are calling on the resident electoral commissioner on the plateau to intervene within 48hours by removing the electoral officer in langtang north to save our democracy from eminent collapse. This will enable we, the electorates have confidence on the electoral body
CONCERN LANGTANG NORTH YOUTHS