Taraba LG polls: APC threatens boycott

The Taraba State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to boycott the local government elections slated for June 30, 2020, unless the appropriate laws are followed.

Chairman of the party, Barrister Ibrahim El-Sudi, issued the threat while briefing newsmen in Jalingo.

He urged the Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) to withdraw the timetable for the election and observe the rules governing local council elections as provided for in the relevant law of the state and the constitution.

The chairman stated that the party had written formally to the TSIEC to declare its stand considering the lockdown in the state.

He explained that the lockdown had hindered the party from participating in the screening, political campaigns and other activities in the process of the election.

Barrister El-Sudi therefore called on Taraba State government to remove Dr. Philip Duwe as Chairman of the TSIEC due to his glaring favouritism and partisanship in favour of the PDP which is the ruling party in the state.

He said the APC has lost confidence in the chairman of the electoral umpire, hence the call for his removal from office.

The party chairman also called on the state government to release Mr Idris Ayuba, one of the APC youth leaders who had been in detention for more than 50 days without trial.

He advised the state government to explore the legal procedure in handling such matters rather than using power to intimidate opposition members.

In his reaction, Duwe said that the commission had the constitutional mandate to fix dates and organise elections.

He cited section six of the Taraba State Independent

Electoral Commission Act 2002 which gave the commission the mandate to carry out such duties as prescribed by the law.

Dr Duwe said that the commission had consulted all stakeholders on the election before arriving at the date set for the conduct of the election.

He dismissed the allegations of bias and favouritism in for any political party in the state made against him by All Progressives Congress.

He disclosed that 17 political parties have indicated their willingness to participate in the process, adding that only the APC and the Advance Democratic Congress (ADC) that later complained about the date.

He said that 15 other political parties had agreed to participate in the election and assured that the commission must ensure a level play ground to all parties.

TSIEC had rolled out the time table for the conduct of local government elections into the 16 local government areas in the state for June 30.