From Olanrewaju Lawal Birnin Kebbi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Kebbi State chapter have pulled out from the August 31 local government council election.
Chairman of the PDP in Kebbi State, Alhaji Bello Usman Suru confirmed the position of the party at a press conference in Birnin Kebbi this evening.
According to him, “you will recall that during the last PDP stakeholders meeting, we agreed to participate in the forthcoming Local Government Council elections given the circumstances of the time but as things continue to unfold: having made a wider consultation with some segments of the Party Membership and prominent Elders; it becomes pertinent to inform you that the Party is no longer participating in the Local Government Councils elections slated for August 31st, 2024 due to the following reasons:
“The Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission and All the Commissioners are Card Carrying Members of APC in Kebbi State: therefore organizing Free, Fair, and Credible elections will be a mirage. We voiced out our discomfort with their appointments in several communications to the Kebbi State Government and relevant Agencies involved in elections management in the State. PDP therefore doesn’t have any confidence in the leadership of the State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct the elections freely.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has been conducting elections in various offices since its establishment without charging anything (financially) from Candidates or Political Parties, therefore the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission (KISEC) creates Administrative fees in respect of Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship, and Councillorship as prescribed in the elections guidelines did not only disenfranchised some candidates but also grossly violets freedom of choice to Candidates, Political Parties and the Electorates.
“The released Election guidelines specified that the administrative fees can be paid up to August 30th, 2024 but abruptly shifted backward to August 7th, 2024
This amounts to changing the rules in the middle of the game and a clear attempt to discourage opposition Parties from participating in the elections.
“It is against this background that PDP wishes to inform its teeming number of supporters statewide that our participation in the elections will only signify acceptance of an illegality, fraudulent system, and stage-managed elections as done in the previous exercise conducted in 2022 under the same leadership”.
The party’s Chairman appealed to all it’s members across the 21 LGAs to remain calm and focused as they continue to reflect on the present and prospects of our great Party at Local, State, and National levels.
“While monitoring developments at the National Assembly on local government election matters; PDP hopes that the Independent National Electoral Commission will soon take over the conduct and management of Local Government Councils elections to attain the desired outcome of having free, fair, credible, and acceptable elections”.
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