The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kebbi has withdrawn from the August 31 local council election in the state.
The PDP Chairman in the state, Alhaji Bello Usman-Suru, disclosed this to journalists at a media briefing on Wednesday in Birnin Kebbi.
He said: “Having made a wider consultation with some segments of the party membership and prominent elders; it becomes pertinent to inform you that the party is no longer participating in the local councils elections slated for August 31 due to the following reasons:
“The Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM) and all the commissioners are card carrying members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi State.
“Therefore, organising free, fair, and credible elections will be a mirage.
“We voiced out our discomfort with their appointments in several communications to the Kebbi State Government and relevant agencies involved in elections management in the state.
“PDP, therefore, does not have any confidence in the leadership of the State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct the elections freely.”
Usman-Suru also decried the creation of administrative fees for chairmanship, vice chairmanship, and councillorship as prescribed in the elections guidelines.
This, according to him, not only disenfranchised some candidates but also grossly violates freedom of choice to candidates, political parties and the electorates.
The chairman added: “The released election guidelines specified that the administrative fees can be paid up to August 30, but abruptly shifted backward to August 7.
“This amounts to changing the rules in the middle of the game and a clear attempt to discourage opposition parties from participating in the elections.
“It is against this background that PDP wishes to inform its teeming supporters statewide that our participation in the elections will only signify acceptance of an illegality, fraudulent system, and stage-managed elections as done in the previous exercise conducted in 2022 under the same leadership.”
He expressed optimism that the National Assembly would pass a bill for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take over the conduct and management of local council elections in the country.
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