APC, PDP trade words over Bauchi LG poll

The All Progressives Congress, Bauchi State chapter has accused the State Independent Electoral Commission and the Peoples Democratic Party of allegedly planning to rig the today’s local government election in favour of the ruling PDP.

During an emergency press conference in the early hours of Saturday, the APC raised the alarm that it received a report that both the government and the commission had scuttled the credibility of the exercise.

While reading a statement signed by the State Chairman of APC, the party’s Legal Adviser, Rabiu Garba, said, “As at the moment of less than 12 hours before the commencement of the Saturday poll, we have observed that BASIEC has failed to provide adequate sensitive and non-sensitive election materials, including sufficient ballot papers and result sheets, at the designated voting centres across the state.

“As gathered from credible sources, we have reason to believe that BASIEC intends to announce election results while voting is in progress, which is unacceptable and a clear attempt to undermine the democratic process.

“Currently our party is unaware of the identities of the presiding officers, collation officers, and returning officers for the election, despite having served the commission with an official demand letter in that regard. This, in fact, raises serious questions about the transparency and credibility of tomorrow’s (Saturday) election process.”

Garba recalled claims that there has been constant scheming out of the APC in almost all the meetings with critical stakeholders held by the Commission concerning the election in question.

He said that the APC would not accept the outcome of any election that is marred by such irregularities and shady elections. APC called on the BASIEC to conduct a transparent, free, and fair election that reflects the will of the people of Bauchi State.

“However, we must condemn in totality, the cunning move made by the PDP government in Bauchi state to disenfranchise the people of Bauchi State by compromising the State Independent Electoral Commission, BASIEC security agencies, and ad-hoc electoral officers in all the polling units across the State. The planned rigging of the election was orchestrated as manifested by BASIEC,” APC said.

PUNCH Online reported that the press conference was attended by the Senator representing Bauchi South, Shehu Umar Buba, the Chairman of APC, Mohammed Hassan, and other top party stakeholders in the state.

Reacting to the allegation when contacted by our correspondent, a chieftain of the Bauchi PDP , Abdullahi Mato, explained said “the allegation is baseless and unfounded.”

He added, “All these allegations are baseless and unfounded.
“Of course, everybody knows that Bauchi is a PDP-controlled state as such, the mind of every PDP member in Bauchi is calm about the LG elections, and this is because of the developmental projects by the PDP government across the state.

“There is no local government in Bauchi State you will visit that you will not come across the projects of the PDP. APC has ruled for four years in Bauchi without one legacy to show; how do you expect people to vote for them?”

He insisted that residents vote based on legacies, not talks, and that is why the APC is afraid to face the battle.

On his part, another PDP chieftain in the state, Abubakar Musa, said “Had it been the PDP wants to rig the election as the opposition claimed, why would the governor direct all party stakeholders to campaign and seek voters support?

“The APC has obviously refused to campaign and is now looking for sympathy from the people.”

He continued, “This is the APC ways of politics. All propaganda, they fold their arms to participating in the process and canvassing for a vote only to cry foul on the eve of the elections.”