The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has withdrawn its participation from the upcoming Kebbi State Local Government elections.
The PDP chairman in the state, Bello Suru, announced this in a press statement made available to journalists on Thursday.
He said that the chairman and all commissioners of the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state, giving the APC candidates an unfair advantage.
“You will recall that during the last PDP stakeholders’ meeting, we agreed to participate in the forthcoming local government council elections given the circumstances of the time.
“However, as things have continued to unfold, and after wider consultation with various segments of the party membership and prominent elders, it has become necessary to inform you that the party is no longer participating in the Local Government Council elections scheduled for 31 August 2024 due to the following reasons:
“The Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission and all the commissioners are card-carrying members of the APC in Kebbi State. Therefore, organising free, fair, and credible elections will be a mirage.
“We have expressed our concerns regarding their appointments in several communications to the Kebbi State Government and relevant agencies involved in election management in the state,” Suru said.
He mentioned that the PDP therefore “does not have any confidence in the leadership of the State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct the elections freely.”
Furthermore, the party alleged that the electoral body requires participants to make payments, which it argued is contrary to election participation norms in Nigeria.
He added, “The Independent National Electoral Commission has been conducting elections for various offices since its establishment without charging any fees from candidates or political parties.
“The Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission has introduced administrative fees for chairmanship, vice chairmanship, and councillorship positions as prescribed in the election guidelines,” which he said “not only disenfranchises some candidates but also grossly violates the freedom of choice for candidates, political parties, and the electorate.”
The chairman urged all party members across the 21 LGAs of the state to “remain calm and focused as we continue to reflect on the present and future of our great party at local, state, and national levels.”
He mentioned that the party hopes INEC will “soon take over the conduct and management of local government council elections to ensure free, fair, credible, and acceptable elections.”
In response to the charges, Isa Asalafi, the APC publicity secretary in the state, stated that the claims against the state electoral commission’s chairman and commissioners were false and could not be proven.
He said that the PDP withdrew from the race due to fear of losing, claiming, “They only announced their withdrawal when they realised that the majority of their members had defected to the APC.”
“I am sure you are aware that four of their lawmakers in the state House of Assembly recently announced their defection.”
Hassan Yauri, KISEC’s spokesman, disputed that any member of the commission was linked with a political organisation.
“The chairman of the commission has issued a statement denying the PDP’s allegations. It is unfortunate that rather than focussing their energy on the polls, the PDP has chosen to make claims about events that never occurred,” he said.
