PDP pulls out of Nasarawa LG elections

Three weeks before the local government council election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Nasarawa State chapter has decided to boycott the Chairmanship and Councillorship elections scheduled for November 2, 2024.

The decision was reached during the State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting held at the PDP Secretariat Complex, Lafia, on Friday.

In a communique issued after the meeting, the PDP outlined several reasons for its withdrawal from the elections, citing a lack of trust in the credibility of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC) and accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) of undermining democratic processes.

“The NASIEC did not give the opposition parties substantial reasons to build confidence in the credibility and fairness of the election,” the communique stated.

The party criticized the N1.5 million fee set by NASIEC for candidate registration, describing it as an insensitive move by the APC-led government, considering the current economic hardship.

“The whooping sum of N1.5 million as the cost of candidate registration is a clear indication that the APC-led government is insensitive to the economic struggles of the people. This fee essentially bars the common man from participating in the election,” the PDP said.

Other concern raised by the party was the failure of the government to amend the Electoral Bill to allow election results for councilor positions to be announced at the ward level and those for chairmanship positions at the local government headquarters.

According to the PDP, this failure is an indication that the ruling party is likely to engage in “unimaginable electoral fraud.”

“Since the state government has not amended the bill, it means that it will be business as usual for the APC to ambush other political parties with electoral frauds,” PDP said.

“Therefore, the PDP cannot afford to waste its precious time, energy, and resources on an election where the results are already predetermined.”

In addition to the boycott decision, the SEC meeting also renamed the party Secretariat Complex after its pioneer chairman, Ambassador Polycap Azige.

The move was adopted unanimously after the motion was presented by the State Working Committee (SWC).

In a show of solidarity, the SEC also passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of the State Working Committee, led by Francis Orogu.

The committee commended Orogu’s leadership in ensuring that 98% of the party’s ongoing congresses reached a consensus.