How Gov Lalong Is Constituting A Threat To Democracy – LGA Chairmen Raises Alarm

Yakubu Busari

The Association of Chairmen, Plateau State Chapter of the People Democratic Party, PDP, has threatened to filed a suit to challenge Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, for truncating the tenet of democracy in the state as well as its failure to conduct election in Four Local Government Councils of Jos North ,Jos South ,Riyom and Barkin Ladi .

 

Addressing a world press conference at Langfield in Jos South Local Government Council, the spokesman of the group Hon Aminu Zang .

 

The Chairmanship/councillorship candidates forum of Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government Areas disclosed that; “our people are disenfranchised and deprived of the equitable distribution of the dividends of democracy. “

 

The statement was signed by the following; Hon. Aminu A. Zang           Jos North, Hon. Emmauel, Solomon Dung (Gibok)Jos South, Comrade.Joshua Chonga Barkin Ladi (KTD)  and Hon. Kim Titus Danga Riyom.

 

The managers of the interim contraptions did not promise anything to anybody hence the seeming nonchalant and want of obligation to deliver.

 

It is with profound gratitude that we welcome you to this press conference by honoring our invitation hoping the text of the conference will receive overwhelming coverage and circulation.

 

The forum of the chairmanship and councillorship candidates under the platform of our great party- The People’s Democratic Party (P.D.P) representing the good people of Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi And Riyom Local Government Areas are for the umpteenth time expressing our dismay and disappointment over the failure by the plateau state government and PLASIEC to conduct elections in the four local government areas.

 

Local Government is the third tier of government constitutionally created to serve legislative and executive functions at the local government council level. It is the bastion of grassroots development touching on the lives of its constituents as the most veritable tool closest to them.

 

 

“You would recall that the state government through its PLASIEC set in motion the process for the conduct of elections to the various offices hitherto vacant”.

 

The process commenced with pomp and pageantry with parties in turn conducting primaries culminating into the emergence of candidates in most cases after tortuous campaigns.

 

PLASIEC now screened the candidates and were made to pay various mandatory administrative fees as conditions for eligibility.

 

The statement noted the requirement for the withdrawal of service of persons working from their places of work and vacations must be stated here.

 

This singular condition estranged such persons from their means of livelihood.

 

The long-awaited elections were then conducted on the 10th October 2018 but in 13 of the 17 local government council areas excluding Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South And North adducing “security reasons”.

 

The time of the election, relative peace had returned to these areas as against some other more volatile areas. We are thus tempted to think other reasons are informing the position as against what was being bandied.

 

We are living witnesses to the demilitarization of our towns and cities by the dismantling of checkpoints and roadblocks without any negative consequences.

 

Further, the Government’s statements and claims to the return of peace as would have been evidenced by the hosting of carnivals and the like require no further proof.

 

Suffice to also mention elections into various offices of the Presidency/National Assembly and Governorship/State Assemblies, which have come and gone successfully.

 

The inalienable rights and desires of the peace-loving citizens of our respective areas to their choices as enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended) of the republic of Nigeria is being flagrantly violated.

 

The setting up of interim management committees to manage our local Governments is an aberration and should have no place in our democratic journey.

 

 

It is on account of the foregoing that we are calling on his Excellency the Governor and Government through its agency PLASIEC to as a matter of urgency consider conducting transparently FREE and FAIR elections into the remaining four Local Government Areas.

 

This will make us join the league of other Local Governments on the Plateau and Nigeria at large in benefitting from the largess of ACCOUNTABLE democratic dividends.

 

In fact, in other climes, steps would have been taken to ameliorate the pain, anguish, and plight of the candidates who have suffered untold hardship after abandoning their various means of livelihood in a bid to render service.

 

We are also calling on our legislators especially at the State level to join us in this noble quest in ensuring that the tenets of democracy are wholesomely upheld.

 

We make bold to make this request knowing the pedigree of our legislators themselves being beneficiaries of the process. We implore them to shun overtures at renewing, extending or elongating the tenures of the interim contraptions lest they are perceived as either reneging or abdicating in their functions in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities.

 

We also call on all party men and women to remain peaceful and law-abiding as they remain steadfast in prayers for elections to be held sooner than later. We make this noble clarion call hoping it receives early positive responses to the glory of God Almighty.