By Daniel Dauda in Jos


The Plateau state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), have raised an alarm over a grand plan by the Plateau state Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to ban the party from participating in the October 9th, Local Government election.

The Secretary of the Plateau state PDP Caretaker committee, Hon. Patrick Ogbu who raised the alarm while speaking to reporters in Jos on Friday expressed disgust over the move to ban the party over alleged unsubstantiated reasons.

Ogbu explained that based on the election guidelines and timetable released by PLASIEC, our party in line with our extent laws wrote to notify the commission of the party's activities toward the election patterning  the conduct of Wards and Local Government Congresses/primaries to elect our party candidates in the LG elections.

But to our astonishment, Ogbu said that the commission responded to that notification letter and inform us that they will not supervised our party primaries, citing court judgment against an already dissolved EXCO and a judgement which was already complied with by the national working committee of our party.

Upon this he further explained that subsequent to correspondences between Caretaker committee (CTC) and PLASIEC which included; request for the 2021 LG election guidelines, request for the release of nomination forms for our candidates, request for the audience with the PLASIEC chairman but all this were negative as none was granted by the PLASIEC.

"It is crystal clear to us, that from our correspondences with PLASIEC, there is a grand plan by PLASIEC to exclude the PDP from participating in the local government elections.

"We wish to put on notice straight that as a party we will resist any attempt to subvert the wheel of justice and deny our people the opportunity to participate in electing their leaders at the local government level through and legal means.

"And as such, with this unfolding scenario, it has now emerged clearly that the electoral empire has devised an agenda to unlawfully exclude PDP from the forthcoming elections," Ogbu revealed.

He said that the party's primaries were peacefully and promptly organized within the timetable and guidelines release by PLASIEC but the commission refused to issued nomination forms to our legitimate and duly elected candidates.

He also argued that the commission is not the party to the case that gave raised to the court order as and such there is no order or injunction from any court restraining PLASIEC from releasing nomination forms to the candidates.

He urge the commission to be fair in discharge of its mandates to all interested parties.

He equally charge all security agencies to understand their concerns over this unfolding scenario.

In a swift reaction, the Chairman of PLASIEC, Mr Fabian Ari said that the commission has not deprived or refused the party from participation but the fault emanated from them following a court case that they are yet to vacate.

The Chairman who was represented by Mr. Patrick Mangin, the Commissioner electoral operations said" elections is a process and there is laws and guidelines that go alone with elections with this, we are constraint by the court judgment to deal with the PDP or the Caretaker committee as such we are constraint by the court judgment," he affirmed.