LG polls: PDP kicks as Lalong swears in APC candidates as caretakers

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State yesterday swore in the caretaker chairmen for four local government areas of Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom of the state.

Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) had conducted local government council polls last year October, but exempted the four local governments, citing security reasons and early warning reports of violence.

Caretakers were therefore appointed last year, and at the completion of their one-year tenures, another caretakers were appointed yesterday. The intriguing thing however was that those appointed yesterday were the APC candidates for the polls before it was suspended, thereby making the PDP to describe the development as undemocratic and unjust.

Spokesman of the party in the state John Akans, in a statement said: “As a party that believes in the rule of law and also that represents the interest and mandates of majority votes on the plateau, we are on this note sending very strong words of caution to PLASIEC, APC and the state government that any undemocratic act of illegality and injustice will face appropriate resistance from the people of Plateau State.

“This illegal act will no longer be tolerated by the people, as they have had enough of this oppression by ungodly minds which are filled with ungodly values by an architect of injustice in leadership position.”

Our correspondent reports that the list of the APC nominees was sent to the House of Assembly for confirmation and this caused uproar between APC and PDP members, and the PDP members staged a walk out before the confirmation of the caretakers.

After the confirmation, they all moved to the government house for the swearing in ceremony.

At the ceremony, Governor Lalong said with the security situation improving, and as a good measure in the interest of the people, government was working hard to ensure that elections are conducted in the affected local governments areas.