Plateau Re-run Elections: PDP Protests omission on ballot

By James Moses (9News Nigeria -Jos)

There was a mild drama at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) head office in Jos, Plateau State when the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state discovered its name missing from the ballot papers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the re-run polls.

The absence of the party’s name was discovered during inspection of the sensitive materials by party officials of INEC Representatives.

John Akams, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, who was present at the inspection venue, protested stating that his party would not accept such mandate.

Responding, the INEC National Commissioner, Muhammad Kudu Haruna, said the commission held a stakeholders’ meeting with all political parties on January 9, and was informed that the party (PDP), would not participate in the elections.

9News Nigeria had earlier reported that a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed an application filed by Senator Simon Davou Nwadkwon and Musa Agah Avia, both sacked Federal lawmakers on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking to participate in the February 3 re-run elections.

Senator Simon Nwadkwon and Rep Musa Agah represented Plateau North Senatorial District and Bassa/Jos North Connstituency, respectively, before they were sacked by the Appeal Court on the ground that their party lacked the structure to participate in the last general elections in the state.

Reacting to the development on Thursday, the state chapter of the Inter-party Advisory Council (IIPAC) said no political party would participate in the re-run elections since one of them was excluded from the ballots.

Abubakar Dogara, State chairman of the council, while reacting to o developments said “It is either all parties participate in the election or non will participate in the elections.We have resolved as parties that none of us will participate in the elections”, he said.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has distanced itself from the position of the IPAC, vowing that APC would participate in the polls.

Sylvanus Namang APC Publicity Secretary in the state disclosed this in a statement in Jos:

“The APC, for the avoidance of doubt, hereby totally and unequivocally disassociates iitself from the position of IPAC which is purportedly on behalf of all political parties in the state”, he said.

-9News Nigeria.

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