As the Plateau State Electoral Umpire, PLASIEC released timetable in readiness to the conduct of the Local Government Polls in October, 2021 tentatively, the PDP in the State has vowed to resist any attempt to subvert the wish of the people.

The Party disclosed that it would not sit and watch any display of impunity and fraudulent conduct of the forthcoming Local Government Polls.

The Party charged the electoral umpire and the ruling party to do what is right as it said any attempt to defraud the electorates will be meted with stiff resistance.

Furthermore, the party described the 2018 Local Government Polls as brazen display of not only illegality but shame, cowardice, godlessness, arrogance, impunity and executive wickedness by the Governor of the State, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong through his brother and appointed agent, Mr. Fabian Ntung.

The party called for the resignation of the PLASIEC Chairman, Mr. Ntung over his role in the 2018 LG elections which the PDP felt was a broad day robbery of the wish of the people.

These disclosures were made by the Plateau State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Hon. John T. Akans ksm in a communiqué issued at the end of a joint State Executive Council Meeting of the Party held at the Party Secretariat Yakubu Gowon Way Jos today Thursday 20th May, 2021.

“As a party, we have no confidence in him to superintend over another electoral process. If Lalong intends good for Plateau in the forthcoming LGA polls, then the likes of Ntung should vacate or be made to vacate the scene for public confidence to be restored” the statement posited.

The Party also called for the refund of nomination fees paid by Candidates from Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi LGAs where the elections are yet to be conducted.

The full communique reads;

*COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF A JOINT STATE EXECUTIVE MEETING OF THE PLATEAU STATE CHAPTER OF THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY(PDP) HELD ON THE 20TH DAY OF MAY 2021 AT THE PARTY’S STATE SECRETARIAT JOS*

The Peoples Democratic Party( PDP), is aware of  surreptitious  plans by the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC in conjunction with the  Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to hurriedly conduct another local government elections on the 9th October 2021.

As a party, we hope that this election will not be another national  fraud and embarrassment shamelessly perpetrated by Governor Simon Lalong and his kinsman Fabian Ntung as done in 2018 in which Plateau State became a laughing stock across the Nation and International community. It was a gross shame perpetrated by Governor Lalong whose claimed democratic credentials of being a two term State assembly Speaker and lawyer could not help.

We wonder how Lalong will, in good conscience, assess his administration after leaving office in 2023.

As a party, we want to recall and express our utmost disappointment over the ungodly conduct of the PLASIEC chairman Fabian Ntung Ari and his officials over the 2018 local government election where he announced the appointment of APC candidates as Chairmen and Councilors as elections were in progress.

The 2018 local government election was indeed a brazen display of not only illegality, but shame, cowardice, godlessness, arrogance, impunity and executive   wickedness by the Governor through his brother and appointed agent, Fabian Ntung.

Ntung recklessly declared losers as winners and winners as losers just to satisfy the interest of his employer. While the good  people of  Jos North ,Jos South, Riyom ,and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas  were not only denied their rights to freedom, and rights to freely, and willingly choose their leaders under a democratic process but were rather strangulated to an endless string of appointed caretaker administrations.

We call on the so-called PLASIEC Chairman, Ntung to resign his appointment immediately if he has any remaining shame on him. As a civil servant who rose through the ranks to become a permanent secretary, to commit such a heinous democratic crime after serving for 35 yrs and possibly above 60 years of age, it is unimaginable and politically devastating.

As a party, we have no confidence in him to superintend over another electoral process. If Lalong intends good for Plateau in the forthcoming LGA polls, then the likes of Ntung should vacate or be made to vacate the scene for public confidence to be restored. Doing so may help him avoid the thunderous wrath of God and punishment that is reserved for men like him.
He should seek for God’s mercies while a new chairman with the fear of God and respect for democracy is appointed to lead a godly process. Ntung’s deeds during the 2018 local government elections fall short of God’s expectations and it’s unbelievable that such a man without conscience would want to continue in office.

He should also know that the people he defrauded with daylight robbery of their mandate have not forgiven him.

We expect that a new PLASIEC leadership will create a new impression of the electoral body to redeem its image and reputation and provide a level playing field for all actors.

PLASIEC under him defrauded, cheated, extorted, swindled and robbed our people and innocent candidates of their victories. Even when most of the PDP candidates were congratulated by their APC counterparts who had accepted defeat before Lalong and Ntung did otherwise.

The PDP will not sit and watch such brazen display of impunity anymore. PLASIEC and the APC should be ready to do what is right as any attempt to defraud the electorate again will be resisted. We cannot be intimidated again.

This is a very big shame on the Governor and the party that brags of empty change and leadership.

We equally advise Civil Servants that will be used for the coming election as tools for rigging and manipulation of results to desist from such wickedness as such acts have its deadly consequences. It is the same Government that has no respect for the workers leading to many months of industrial crisis and nonpayment of salaries and other emoluments.

And to those workers particularly the Local Government Staff that aided and abetted the last fraudulent elections, nemesis and severe repercussions await you for the atrocities against innocent candidates.

We remind PLASIEC that elections all over are conducted in the spirit of democracy and wider participation, not by deceit and fraud.

APC must be ready to accept defeat in the spirit of democracy blowing across the world.

Our party also demands a refund of nomination fees paid by our candidates particularly from Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi with immediate effect because elections were not conducted in those areas.

We again call on PLASIEC to immediately scrap the nomination forms fee for the office of the Chairman and Councillors, demanded from political parties. It is out rightly illegal and fraudulent for the Commission to continue extorting money from candidates. This act was condemned by a subsisting Court judgment, which warned against such habits of State Electoral Commissions making elections as money making ventures.

Our position on this is in line with a court decision procured by late Chief Gani Fawehmi SAN against Oyo state Independent Electoral Commission in suit number 1/177/2004 between National Conscience Party on one side and the Attorney General of Oyo state and the State Electoral Commission on the other side.

In the above case, the judge Hon Justice M O Bolaji Yusuf held by declaring the State Electoral Commission as incompetent to prescribe conditions for the nomination, eligibility, qualification and disqualification of candidates to contest Local Government election in Oyo state outside the conditions stipulated by section 7(4) 106 and 107 of the 1999 constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended.

We urge and call on PLASIEC to emulate Aare  Isiaka Abiola Olagunju SAN  the chairman of Oyo state Electoral Commission for respecting the order of Oyo state high court in a suit No 1/177/2004, delivered on the 18th March 2004 to the effect that section 10 (b)e and (f) of the state independent electoral commission law of Oyo state contravenes section 7(4)106 and 107 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as (amended).

Which in this circumstance, the Oyo State Electoral Commission has  cancelled payment of nomination fees of #50,000 for councillorship candidates and #250,000 for chairmanship candidates as stated on its time table for its forthcoming election.

The Oyo state Chairman of the state electoral commission said this because the Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria takes precedence over any law or by laws. On this the Oyo state electoral commission is refunding nomination fees to Chairmen and Councillors.

At least PLASIEC should borrow a leaf from Aare Isiaka Abiola SAN by showing some level of transparency, honesty and to improve on the Commission’s legality in its electoral performance to meet the requirement of 1999 constitution as amended.

The Peoples Democratic party therefore stands for what is right. Any shoddy arrangement that falls short of democratic norms and rules of engagement will be vehemently resisted and rejected.

Finally, the Peoples Democratic Party is much aware of 3.5 billion Naira ecological funds received this month and are closely monitoring how the funds will be utilized.

We are expecting that the funds will be used judiciously for the purpose it is meant for. We Caution against any diversion for personal purposes, equally we have not forgotten the billions of Naira (Covid 19) palliatives received by Governor Lalong which are yet to be accounted for. Our ears/eyes are wide open!

The Joint State Exco/PDP LGA Chairmen meeting also unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the State Leadership of the Party.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Long live PDP.
Long live Plateau State.

Signed….
John T Akans ksm FCIA JP
State Publicity Secretary, PDP Plateau State.

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Plateau PDP Vows to Vehemently Resist Any Attempt to Rig Forthcoming Council Polls, Passes Vote of Confidence on Party SEC