Bauchi APC alleges plan by PDP to rig council poll

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of plotting to rig the local government elections slated for August 17, 2024.

The party recalled that the previous LG election held in October 2020, was marred with widespread irregularities and manipulations.

The party also called on Governor Bala Mohammed to demonstrate true leadership and uphold democratic principles by avoiding any statements that suggest political interference in the election process.

In a statement signed and issued yesterday, the state APC Publicity Committee Chairman, Malam Saadu Umar , said “Governor Bala Mohammed should concentrate on confronting his own demons instead of engaging in sciamachy.

“It is not surprising though, for whenever there is an election, which he is not in charge of, Governor Mohammed appears to panic–induced by his guilty conscience, re-enforcing the saying “A thief believes everybody steals.

“I personally experienced Governor Bala’s rape of election. I was the chairmanship candidate of the APC in Toro Local government Area. Bala wrote the elections results in his house, days to the phantom election and announced the results before ballot boxes reached the polling booths.

“Now that Governor Mohammed is compelled by the Supreme Court to conduct another Local Government elections in Bauchi –over a year after he falsely Promised to conduct the election in six months.

“We urge him to practice that which he preached to the President and INEC in Enugu. Kaura and the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission must, to borrow his words, “ensure that campaigns are issues-based, violence free and in strict compliance with the provisions of the electoral law” and “provide a level playing field that guarantees transparent, fair and

unimpeachable elections, as any act of bias will be totally resisted.”

Reacting to the allegation made by the APC l, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state dismissed the allegation by the APC.

The PDP State Publicity Secretary, Yayanuwa Zainabari, in a phone interview with our reporter, described the APC in the state as a non-existent opposition party in the state, adding that its members lack unity and only focused on irrelevant issues.

“From all indications, the APC is not prepared for the elections because it does not have credible candidates that can win elections in the state. Let them just come and join the PDP for a better Bauchi State,” he said

Yayanuwa Zainabari pointed out that the PDP has since conducted its primaries and elected candidates for all of the 323 political Wards in the state, as well as the Chairmanship candidates of the 20 LGAs in an atmosphere of understanding and consensus.

“The governor is a democrat and gave every aspirant a level playing field unlike in some places where the list of candidates will be drafted from the Governor’s Office and imposed on the party. All the stakeholders were duly and fully involved in the processes,” he added