APC clears Plateau council polls; it’s a rape of democracy – PDP
The All Progressive Congress (APC) has cleared the Plateau local government councils poll, winning all the chairmanship and councillorship seats in the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
But the sweeping victory has drawn the ire of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which described the process as appointment, not election.
Mr Fabian Ntung, Chairman, Plateau Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) announced the result on Sunday in Jos.
Ntung explained that APC won the entire 325 councillorship seats in the 17 LGAs.
The chairman stated that the commission was satisfied with the manner in which the election was conducted.
Ntung commended the electorate who ensured a free and peaceful conduct of the poll.
The commission had barred the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the poll, following some internal crises.
The party challenged its exclusion at the High Court and Appeal Court, but lost at both levels.
Meanwhile, the PDP has described elections as appointments and rape of democracy.
Mr John Akans, Plateau PDP Publicity Secretary made the declaration in Jos on Sunday.
Mr Fabian Ntung, Chairman, Plateau Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), who announced the results on Sunday, said that APC won all the 17 chairmanship and 325 councillorship seats at the elections.
Akans, however, said that what were done were not elections but clearly selections and appointment of APC members.
He said that the party’s next line of action would be made known on Monday.
PLASIEC had earlier barred the PDP from participating in the elections citing a judgment some members of the party secured against the leadership of PDP in the state.
The PDP challenged its exclusion at the elections at the High Court and the Appeal Court, but lost at both levels.
In his reaction, Mr Sati Bashir, APC’s State Secretary, said that it was not a smooth exercise for the party as the APC had challenges right from the commencement of the process. NAN