More reactions have continued to trail the continuous delay in the release of results for Plateau North Senatorial District and House of Representatives for Jos North Bassa Constituency and the other two senatorial zones of the state.
This time, the main opposition, PDP in Plateau State said the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State, Alhaji Husseini Halilu Pai should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the State.
The party stated this through its Chairman in the state, Hon. Damishi Sango, while addressing journalists at its State Secretariat in Jos.
Sango said, “It has become imperative to address you today on the political happenings in Plateau following the conduct of the general elections on Saturday, February 23rd, 2019.
“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.”
According to him, “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.”
The chairman saluted the “commitment and resilience” of the party’s supporters in seeking to chart a new course for a “united, secure and prosperous Plateau”.
“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. The situation cuts across the three senatorial zones of the state.
“In the Southern Zone, INEC declared the election inconclusive after cancelling 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”, he lamented.
“In the Central Zone, INEC 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 LGA.
“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.
The PDP Chieftain maintained that, “In the Northern Zone, we received reports from INEC officers on ground and our agents that PDP had roundly won the election.
“INEC then 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.
“The commission, therefore, instructed the Returning Officers not to announce the results.
“It is therefore evident that the wholesome cancellation of units across the state was deliberately targeted at disenfranchising the people and weakening PDP basis”, he further lamented.
He further explained that, “It is glaring then to everyone that the Resident Electoral Commissioner ((REC), Alhaji. Husseini Halilu Pai had compromised his position as an umpire. Consequently, he has set the whole of Plateau on tension which is a recipe for monumental crisis.”
Sango said 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,” he said.
The chairman further stated that, “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 alleged.
According to him, governor Lalong wants a second tenure “at the expense of the blood and peace” of Plateau.
“Plateau people will accept nothing less than justice; a stitch in time should save nine”, he advised.
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