The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State has revealed a plan by the Zamfara State Independent Electoral Commission (ZASIEC) aimed at preventing opposition parties from participating in the upcoming local government council elections.
The APC has uncovered a scheme orchestrated by the state government, using ZASIEC as a tool to manipulate these elections.
During a press conference held at the APC headquarters in Gusau, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Malam Yusuf Idris, emphasized that the theme of the conference was “Plot by Zamfara Government/ZASIEC to Deny People Their Constitutional Rights in Local Government Council Elections.”
“Gentlemen of the press, we invited you here, today, after the State Working Committee meeting of our great party, the APC, to address you over a serious injustice that is about to be clamped on our party, Democracy and the good people of Zamfara”.
“This is about the upcoming local government council elections that the state government in gross abuse of the electoral laws is organizing as a cult so that at the end of the exercise, they can declare their party and their stooges as winners against the will of the people”.
“We have tagged today’s briefing as The plot by Zamfara Govt/ZASIEC to deny people their constitutional rights at LGA Council elections”.
He stated that it is unconstitutional and a complete violation of the guiding rules and regulations, as well as the principle of fair play, to use a card-carrying member of the PDP as the chairman of the commission.
This action is intended to perpetuate injustice and undermine other political parties, effectively denying their candidates the opportunity to participate fully in the electoral process.
“The state government which swore in the commission’s chairman, Bala Aliyu Gusau on the 14/10/2024, the chairman immediately after taking oath of office and oath of allegiance announced a date for the local government election without even reporting to the office, assessing his responsibilities”.
He lamented that the chairman abruptly announced a date as directed by Governor Dauda Lawal to organize the council polls in such a way to hold on 16/11/2024 within 30 days from the date he was sworn-in without recourse to the constitutional provision.
“However, the ZASIEC is still yet to dispatch any notice of election to our party as required by the electoral laws nor has it provided us with election guidelines and the elections scheduled “.
“Already, we have filed our case at a Federal High Court, Gusau, to seek redress over this clear injustice with the strong belief that the right thing will ultimately be done”.
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