Hold Plateau Resident Electoral Commissioner, Husseini Halilu Pai Responsible For Any Violence And Crisis On The Plateau, PDP Tells Plateau People And Nigerians
Yakubu Busari
- Rejects Plateau Presidential Election results
- Says REC Working For Lalong And Aided APC In Rigging
The Chairman of People Democratic Party (PDP) Hon Damishi Sango has accused the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) of rigging the Presidential, National Assembly and Federal House of Rep seats for the All Progressive Congress, APC.
Sango stated this during the PDP world press conference held at the PDP secretariat on Wednesday in Jos.
He said, “it is glaring to everyone that the Resident Electoral Commissioner ((REC), Alhaji. Husseini Halilu Pai had compromised his position as an umpire to work for the ruling APC.
Damishi Sango lamented that he picked Tudun Wada-Kabong ward, a stronghold of the PDP in Jos North LGA and has withheld the results of all the 65 units with a total voter population of about 92 thousand people.
He also frowned at Lalong who wants a second tenure at the expense of the blood and peace of Plateau. We have vowed that Plateau people will accept nothing less than justice; a stitch in time should save nine.
According to him, the commission has therefore instructed the Returning Officers not to announce the results, adding, It is therefore evident that the wholesome cancellation of units across the state was deliberately targeted at disenfranchising the people and weakening PDP bases.
However, we are saddened to note that four days after the conduct of the elections, INEC is yet to turn in the final results and declare the winners.
Following the conduct of the general elections on Saturday, February 23rd, 2019, it has become imperative to address you today on the political happenings in Plateau, he added.
We acknowledge that the elections were relatively peaceful; there was also an enthusiastic turn out of the people to vote despite the earlier inexcusable postponement by INEC which had brought untold anguish and disappointment on the electorate.
Plateau people clearly spoke their minds by vesting their trust in PDP through overwhelmingly voting for the party their votes gave PDP unassailable victory across the state.
We salute our supporters for their commitment and resilience in seeking to chart a new course for a united, secure and prosperous Plateau
The situation cuts across the three senatorial zones of the state. In the Southern Zone, INEC declared the election inconclusive after canceling the results of some units in Qua’an Pan and Wase LGAs.
There was clear pressure on the Returning Officer to declare the result in favour of APC
In the Central Zone, JNEC again declared the election inconclusive. As a matter of fact, INEC and stakeholders alongside agents of the parties entered into a formal agreement for a re-run to be conducted in some units in Kanam.
But very surprisingly, INEC summoned the Returning Officers under heavy military intimidation and ordered them to announce the result of the election in favour of APC.
In the Northern Zone, we received reports from INEC officers on the ground and our agents that PDP had roundly won the election.
Consequently, he has set the whole of Plateau on tension which is a recipe for monumental crisis
The PDP and its stakeholders have been working tirelessly to calm frayed nerves.
But this cannot go on for too long.
We are therefore alerting the nation and the world to hold the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Husseini Halilu Pai responsible for any breakdown of law and order.
We can only appeal to him to douse this rising tension by immediately releasing the results.
We know from where the pressure is coming, Governor Lalong is the source.
The governor has been blackmailed by some elements in the state who want him to give them certain elective positions in exchange for their support for his re-election.
He expressed displeasure with the manner that DSS, Police invited the NYSC for thorough briefing causing irregularities across the 17 local government councils.
