Laleye Dipo in Minna
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it would not participate in this weekend’s local government election in Niger State.
This is even as the State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) has said that it has completed plans to conduct the polls in a hitch free manner.
The State PDP Chairman, Mr. Tanko Beji, said that one of the reasons the party would not take part in the election is the inability of majority of voters to obtain their voters cards.
Beji, in a statement made available to newsmen in Minna yesterday, declared that “as at today, not all eligible voters in Niger State have been issued with their PVC’s.
“As a matter of fact, INEC has stated that it will commence the issuance of the PVC’s for new registrants as from November 12, 2022. What this means is that so many voters will be disenfranchised.”
He observed that “Niger State has a total of 4,950 polling units, but NSIEC has said that it will only conduct elections in 3,185 polling units.”
Furthermore, the PDP is still in court, which at its resumed hearing of the matter on November 7, 2022, “delivered its ruling declining jurisdiction and subsequently transferred the matter to the State High Court.”
Beji declared that “as a party we will take all necessary steps to continue with the case at the State High Court” stressing that the PDP has commenced the process to ensure that “the order of transfer is urgently complied with.
“We also need to state that the PDP will pursue this matter to its logical conclusion from the court of first instance to the last.
“For the avoidance of doubt, let us restate that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will not participate in the Local Government elections in Niger State for these reasons.”
He, therefore, called on “all party supporters to remain calm and law abiding as we pursue this matter in court.”
But the State Chairman of NSIEC, Mr. Aminu Baba, has said that there is no court order restraining the commission from conducting the election.
Baba said that all arrangements have been concluded, adding that the training of electoral officers had been carried out while adhoc staff would be trained by the electoral officers.
