Plateau APC postpone LG polls as PDP bites, says Lalong jittery over defeat

The All Progressive Congress (APC), in Plateau State through the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC), has announced an indefinite cancellation of the earlier scheduled February 17th elections in the State, sighting security challenges.

Chairman of the commission Fabian Ntung told journalists in Jos, Monday, that the elections stand postponed to a ‘later date’ in compliance with advice of the State security council.

He said official correspondence from the Council indicated that the present atmosphere in the state is not conducive for peaceful elections due to existing security threats.

Ntung said, “the general public, and particularly stakeholders in the political process in the state, are hereby informed that the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) is in receipt of a communication from the Plateau State Security Council stating that the present security atmosphere in the state generally, is not conducive for the conduct of the forthcoming local government councils elections scheduled for Saturday, February 17, 2018″

However the People Democratic Party (PDP), in the State has credited the cancellation of the polls to fear of losing to the opposition by the ruling party.

Addressing newsmen at the party secretariat, the Plateau PDP Chairman, Hon. Damishi Sango said the postponement is a calculated attempt by the APC to save their face from the embarrassment that will follow the defeat at the polls.

According to Sango, “we find it not only surprising but embarrassing that PLASIEC is advancing security concern as the reason for the said postponement of the Election: it would be recalled that during the Jang administration, when we had serious security challenges in the State, Local Government Elections were conducted in all the Local Government Areas with the exception of Jos North and Wase: furthermore, the 2015 general elections were held in all the Local Government Areas in the State.

“We now ask?, what security challenges can be more intimidating than the Borno State experience where elections materials were taken to IDP Camps in 2015 and elections successfully held”, he said.