The Senator representing Plateau South and governorship candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the Plateau, Jeremiah Useni has described the declaration of the results of the recent local government polls in the state as a “scam and a dangerous plot by Governor Simon Lalong to worsen the already precarious situation in the State”.
Useni, who was reacting to the declaration of 11 out of 13 councils in the state by the electoral umpire (PLASIEC) in favour of the ruling APC, said, “The Peoples Democratic Party monitored the conduct and results of the elections across the thirteen Local Government Areas where elections were conducted and reports indicated that elections were peacefully conducted at the polling units where results showed that the PDP worn in all the 13 LGAs.
“Consequently, PLASIEC being on the pay roll of Governor Simon Lalong disappeared into the air while electorates were anxiously waiting for the announcement of results on their various units and only for PLASIEC to announce the the names of APC candidates whom have already been sworn in at midnight on the same day. ”
The gubernatorial hopeful then said, “From the foregoing, it is clear that Governor Lalong and the ruling APC in the State, out of their desperation to hold on to power, even when it is clear that they have lost same, are hell bent on plunging the State into yet another needless political crisis.
“To say the election was rigged would be to be reiterating the obvious, never on the Plateau has election been this manipulated, pre-arranged, doctored, fixed, pre-determined, altered, falsified and skewed.”
Useni, who is a retired Lt. General maintained that, “Security men at the just concluded LG elections are also culpable of this deceit as they joined our party agents in keeping vigil at the various LGAs, only for the aforementioned fictitious results to be announced at the PLASIEC office in Jos without collation and the security agencies kept mute.”
He held that the present administration has continued to give citizens of the state reasons not to vote them back, adding that insecurity, unemployment and multiplicity of Internally Displaced Persons IDPs have become the order of the day in the three and a half years of the government.
“I hereby call on my supporters to remain calm, steadfast and resolute in conducting their affairs as we approach 2019 elections where I am optimistic and hopeful that Plateau citizens will speak to the incompetent APC government with their votes.
“I also appeal to Governor Lalong to allow good conscience to prevail at this solemn moment in the State, and allow the will of the people, as spoken through the ballot, to prevail,” Useni stressed.
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