APC heads to court to stop Zamfara local government elections

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From Maiharaji Altine 

Two weeks to the upcoming local government elections in Zamfara state, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has dragged the state government and the Zamfara State Independent Electoral Commission (ZASIEC) to court to stop the elections.

In a press conference the spokesperson of the party Yusuf Idris said, they have uncovered a plot on how the ruling PDP in the state was planning to manipulate the forthcoming local Government councils elections in the state.

He challenged the appointment of the state’s electoral commission’s chairman, Bala Aliyu Gusau who he said was a card carrying member of the PDP.

Idris also maintained that, the 30 days period announced by the state’s election commission to conduct the elections was a violation of constitutional provision.

He stressed that, “The political parties should be given three months duration to enable them prepare for the elections”.

“Based on these and other reasons, we have written to the court to stop the elections and direct the Zamfara state Independent Electoral Commission to follow the constitutional provisions.

Idris said that, the APC would not allow the state government to use its kangaroo electoral body to manipulate the elections in favor of the PDP candidates.

He said, ”My colleagues 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 state”.

“This is about the upcoming local government councils 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 of their constitutional rights at LGA Council elections”.

“The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC has uncovered a grand plan by the Zamfara State government using its tool, the state’s Independent Electoral Commission, ZASIEC to manipulate local government councils elections”.

“The state government is using a PDP card carrying member as the commission’s chairman to perfect injustice and injure other political parties and the citizens of the state”.

“They want to deny the right of other political parties to satisfactorily participate in the electoral process which is a total violation of the electoral act”.

“The state government sworn in the commission’s chairman, Bala Aliyu Gusau on the 14/10/2024 and immediately after taking oath of office and oath of allegiance he announced a date for the local government election without even reporting to the office”.

“He did not assess his office responsibilities and schedules but 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”.

“The constitution said that political parties should be given three months election notice to enable them sale party expression of interest and nominations forms,  screen candidates, conduct party primaries, attend to appeals on complaints, organize/carryout campaigns and prepare for the election which is not possible to execute within the announced unconstitutional time frame of just one month, given by the state government”. 

“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 election schedules which is a gross abuse of local government electoral laws which they reviewed and passed same day  by the Zamfara state House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor the following day”.

“While the PDP may have already decided on who they want to impose on the people, the APC, in its fairness, intends to allow the people to decide on who they want as their chairmen and councillors”.

“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”.

Idris appealed to APC supporters and members who have already indicated interest to vie for various elective positions of chairman or councillor to exercise patience.

He concluded that, “The party leadership in consultation with critical stakeholders will do everything possible to ensure justice is done to all APC members by the Zamfara State’s Independent Electoral Commission”.

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