Zamfara: APC hasn’t been served with LG electoral notice yet – APC
From Ibrahim Kaulahi, Gusau
The Zamfara State chapter of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has cried that the Zamfara State Independent Electoral Commission (ZASIEC) has not virtually serve it with any electoral notice yet.
This was heralded in a press briefing by the Zamfara State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Malam Yusuf Idris, crying that, the extreme short notice of the local government election as watched on screens and pages of the national dailies organized by the ZASIEC, is absolute plot to deny rights of the good people of the state in the elections.
“This is about the upcoming local government councils elections, that the state government in gross abuse of the electoral laws is organizing as a cult so that at the end of the exercise, they can declare their party and their stooges as winners against the will of the people.
“We have tagged today’s briefing as: The plot by Zamfara Govt/ZASIEC to deny people their constitutional rights at LGA Council elections.
“The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC has uncovered a grand plan by the Zamfara State government using its tool, the state’s Independent Electoral Commission, ZASIEC to manipulate local government councils elections.
“Continuing, the state government which swore-in the commission’s Chairman, Bala Aliyu Gusau on the 14/10/2024, the Chairman immediately after taking oath of office and oath of allegiance announced a date for the local government election without even reporting to the office.
Without due assessment of his office responsibilities and schedules, but abruptly announced a date as directed by Governor Dauda Lawal to organize the council polls in such a way to hold on 16/11/2024 within 30 days from the date he was sworn- in without recourse to the constitutional provision.
“In this light, the political parties should be given three months election notice to enable them sales party expression of interest and nominations forms, secreen candidates, conduct party primaries, attend to appeals on complaints, organize/carryout campaigns and prepare for the election which is not possible to execute within the announced unconstitutional time frame of just one month, given by the state government.
“However, the ZASIEC is still yet to dispatch any notice of election to our party as required by the electoral laws nor has it provided us with election guidelines and the election schedules which is a gross abuse of local government electoral laws which they reviewed and passed same day by the Zamfara state House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor the next day.
“Already, we have filed our case at a Federal High Court, Gusau, to seek redress over this clear injustice with the strong belief that the right thing will ultimately be done.
“We are appealing to our teeming supporters and members who have already indicated interest to vie for various elective positions of Chairman or councillor to exercise patience as the party leadership in consultation with critical stakeholders will do all that is necessary to ensure justice is done to members by the ZASIEC”, Malam Yusuf has solicited.
