The opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), in Plateau State has rejected the results of the recent local government election, which took place on Wednesday.
They have called the election flawed and announced plans to take legal action.
During a press conference at the party headquarters in Jos on Saturday, APC chairman Rufus Bature stated that the party would not accept the results. He described the local government election as the worst ever conducted in the state’s history, claiming it was marred by rigging and other serious issues.
Bature raised concerns about the distribution of election materials, stating that sensitive items, particularly ballot papers, were severely lacking in certain areas, especially in polling units viewed as APC strongholds. He claimed these locations received only 10% to 20% of the necessary materials, and in some cases, no result sheets were provided at all.
According to Bature, this situation was a tactic to rig the election and disenfranchise voters. He highlighted that some areas did not even hold elections, while there were reports of ballot stuffing in regions controlled by the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Despite these challenges, he claimed that voters still expressed their preferences for candidates of their choice.
Bature accused the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) officials, particularly the returning officers, of fleeing and failing to collect results as required by law.
“It is a fact that election materials particularly ballot papers were grossly inadequate as polling units, mostly those perceived as APC strongholds, were deliberately given 10% to 20% of what were required.
His words:
“Furthermore in those earmarked areas, results sheets were not provided at all for reasons best known to PLSIEC. Despite all complaints and representations made to the electoral officers, nothing changed. Added to this unfortunate scenario was the supply of malfunctioned voting machines which never worked, and in most polling units, the machines hardly lasted more than two hours.
“This, we know is a clever way of rigging and also disenfranchising the people. Worst of all was the fact that election never took place in some areas and there was reported stuffing of ballot papers in PDP strongholds. In spite of these manipulations and sophistry by PLASIEC and the PDP-led government, the people never wavered but instead voted the candidates of their choices.
“PLASIEC officials particularly returning officers absconded across the entire states without waiting to collate the results as stipulated by law.”
Bature urged APC supporters to remain calm and steadfast, assuring them that the party would work tirelessly to reclaim its lost positions.
