The Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of conniving with the State Independent Electoral Commission (ZASIEC) to manipulate the upcoming local government election.
The state APC Publicity Secretary, Malam Yusuf Idris, made the allegations at a press briefing in Gusau on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ZASIEC has fixed November 16, for the conduct of the LG election in the state.
Idris said that the State Working Committee of the party has discovered an alleged plan by the PDP to conduct a serious injustice on the democracy and the good people of Zamfara during the poll.
He further alleged that the PDP-led state government has abused the electoral laws as regards the forthcoming LG election.
“We have discovered a plot by the Zamfara Government and the State Independent Electoral Commission (ZASIEC) to deny people’s constitutional rights at the upcoming LG Council election.
“The APC leadership in the state has uncovered a grand plan by the Zamfara State Government using ZASIEC to manipulate the local government councils election,” he said.
Idris also accused the state government of violation the constitution, guiding rules and regulations by appointing a PDP card-carrying member as the electoral commission’s Chairman to perfect injustice.
“This is to deny other political parties’ candidates to satisfactorily participate in the electoral process in total violation of the electoral act,” he added.
Idris lamented that the chairman, Bala Aliyu-Gusau, was sworn in by the state government on October 14.
He said, ”Immediately after taking the oath of office and oath of allegiance, he announced a date for the local government election without even reporting to the office.
“The commission’s Chairman further, without assessing office responsibilities and schedules, abruptly announced November 16 as the date to conduct the LG polls, within 30 days from the date he was sworn- in.
“There was no recourse to the constitutional provision that political parties should be given three months’ election notice to enable them to prepare for the election.
“The commission is still yet to dispatch any notice of election to the APC as required by the electoral laws nor has it provided us with the election guidelines and the election schedules.”
Idris further lamented that the PDP may have already decided on who they want to impose on the people.
According to him, the APC leadership had already filed a case at a Federal High Court, Gusau, to seek redress over this clear injustice, with the strong belief that the right thing would ultimately be done.
“We are appealing to our teeming supporters and members who have already indicated interest to vie for various elective positions to exercise patience.
“The leadership of our great party leadership in consultation with critical stakeholders will do all that is necessary to ensure justice is done,” Idris further said.
Reacting to the allegations, the State PDP Publicity Secretary, Haliru Andi, described the allegations as baseless.
Andi said the PDP as a law-abiding political party always operates in line with the constitutional provisions.
“The PDP has full confidence in victory in the upcoming LG election in the state.
“I am not surprised with any allegations of the APC leaders against PDP especially in Zamfara state, because it is their daily affairs.
“The APC leaders know that their party can’t win the local government election that is why they want to create unnecessary arguments against the election process,” Andi explained.