After months of pressure on Governor Jonah Jang to ensure elections into local government councils in Plateau State, the state government has finally blown the whistle ushering activities that would culminate into election of chairmen and councillors into the council areas on December 7, 2013. Local government areas (LGAs) in Plateau State, last administered by elected chairmen and councillors nearly two years ago, are to once again have elected councils in December this year. The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) has already rolled out a time table towards achieving that.

Governor Jonah Jang dissolved elected local councils after the expiration of their tenure in January 2012. Since then, the local councils had been run by management committee chairmen he appointed in place of the out-gone elected chairmen. All that is changing, and a general political battle for all the local councils has commenced, as indicated in PLASIEC’s timetable.

After months of pressure on Governor Jonah Jang to ensure elections into local government councils in Plateau State, the state government has finally blown the whistle ushering activities that would culminate into election of chairmen and councillors into the council areas on December 7, 2013. Local government areas (LGAs) in Plateau State, last administered by elected chairmen and councillors nearly two years ago, are to once again have elected councils in December this year. The Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) has already rolled out a time table towards achieving that.

Governor Jonah Jang dissolved elected local councils after the expiration of their tenure in January 2012. Since then, the local councils had been run by management committee chairmen he appointed in place of the out-gone elected chairmen. All that is changing, and a general political battle for all the local councils has commenced, as indicated in PLASIEC’s timetable.

The timetable shows that public campaigns by political parties are legally allowed from September 3 to December 6, while political parties could do their primary elections to pick candidates for the December 7 elections in the days running through October 4 and 11.
The 11 days falling within October 14 and 24 have been set aside for political parties to collect, fill, and return PLASIEC form 001; while October 22 to 30 is the time within which electoral candidates could collect, fill, and return their nomination form 002.
Verification and clearing of all candidates will take place between November 4 and 11, while November 13 to 15 is the timeframe for the publication of list of cleared candidates as well as verification of substituted candidates where applicable.

Receiving of appeal cases is to be done from Monday 18 to Wednesday November 20, 2013; while hearing of appeal cases is slated for Thursday November 21 to Friday November 22, with the last day for the withdrawal of candidates fixed for Thursday November 28.
Friday December 6, 2013 has been allotted for the final campaigns by all candidates in preparation for the local council elections on Saturday December 7, 2013.

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Plateau Local Government elections -Matter Arising